ATP World Tour Finals 2011 Results: Roger Federer Defeats Jo-Wilfried Tsonga To Capture Title

For the sixth time in his career, Roger Federer has won the year-end tournament, capturing the ATP World Tour Finals title with a three-set victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a fantastic match. Federer won the first set and was up a break, cruising in the second before Tsonga pulled off an improbable break, then won the tiebreak. The two went blow for blow in the third, but Tsonga cracked first as Federer eventually won the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-3.

After losing the first set definitively by a break, Tsonga appeared as if he was going to bow out in straight sets before pulling off a break of Federer late in the second, eventually forcing a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Tsonga saved championship point before going on to win, forcing a third set.

Match commentator Patrick McEnroe remarked that, when players lose a championship point in the second set before losing a tiebreak, they often go on to lose the third set without putting up much of a fight. Federer did struggle in the third, often failing to get his first serve in, but fought through points and won and incredible amount of second serve points, never facing a break point in the final set.

With Federer up 4-3 on serve, Tsonga and Federer went to deuce on Tsonga’s serve, with the Frenchman saving three break points. He couldn’t pull off the feat a fourth time in the game, as Federer clinched a decisive break. He went on to win his final service game at love, capturing his record sixth year-end title.

For more on the tournament, check out our ATP World Tour Finals 2011 StoryStream. Check out SB Nation’s Tennis Hub for more around the world of tennis.