Tsonga sets up Stockholm final with Berdych

STOCKHOLM (AFP) –

France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga returns the ball to Cyprus’s Marcos Baghdatis during the semi-finals at the ATP Stockholm Open tennis tournament in Stockholm. Tsonga won 6-4, 4-6, 5-2. Baghdatis had to retire due to an injury.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will look to avenge last week’s Shanghai Masters quarter-final loss against Tomas Berdych in the Stockholm Open final, after beating Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 4-6, 5-2.

The top seed advanced to the final after beating 2009 champion Baghdatis, but only after the Cypriot retired due to a left groin strain.

“It was a very good match, so I’m sad it ended like this,” Tsonga told Swedish public broadcaster SVT.

“I’m very pleased, I played very good tennis again, very aggressive with some good shots.”

Czech world number six Berdych defeated Spain’s Nicolas Almagro in just 69 minutes without facing a single break point, 6-3, 6-2.

Tsonga, ranked world number seven, and Berdych will both be gunning for a spot in the ATP World Tour Finals in November at the O2 Arena in London.