Tsonga Ends Title Drought

Since the US Open, we now have 4 first time tour level champions, including two more this week.  But the biggest news of the weekend was probably Jo-Wilfried Tsonga ending a lengthy title drought dating back to 2009 (Tokyo).  That's hard to believe for a player as talented as the Frenchman is.  Tsonga won his 6th career title this week at the ATP 250 event in Metz, France, defeating Ivan Ljubicic in final 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-3.

In the final clay court event of the season, German Florian Mayer came away with his first career title, defeating Pablo Andujar (also '10 losing finalist) 6-3 6-1.  This had been a breakout year for Mayer, but he struggled during the summer.  Perhaps he just loves the clay as he turned things around at the ATP 250 event in Bucharest, Romania.  Interestingly, Mayer survived a bagel in his first match against Berlocq.

Two women's International series events were contested leading up the Tokyo and Beijing Premier events the next two weeks.  In Seoul, South Korea, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez became the first Spanish woman to win a hardcourt since Medina Garrigues won in Canberra in 2006.  It is Martinez Sanchez's second title of the 2011 campaign, and the 5th in the career.  She defeating the rising Galina Voskoboeva 7-6(0), 7-6(2) in the final.

Finally, Chanelle Scheepers joined the winner's circle for the first time in her career in Guangzhou, China by defeating Magdalena Rybarikova 6-2, 6-2 in the Saturday final.

I'll try and get a Tokyo/Beijing WTA preview out in the next couple days.  I've also been working on compiling the slam summaries for 2011, so be on the lookout for those.