Tsonga beats Federer to win Rogers Cup

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga won the Rogers Cup on Sunday, beating second-seeded Roger Federer 7-5, 7-6 (3) for his fourth straight victory over a higher-seeded opponent.

The 13th-seeded Frenchman won his first ATP Tour title of the season and 11th overall. He beat top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Thursday, eighth-seeded Andy Murray on Friday and seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov on Saturday.

“I think for me it’s going to be a new motivation because just last year I always lost against those guys, and it was really frustrating for me,’’ he said. “Then today a win against [Federer], it’s good for me, it’s good for my ambition and it’s good for my career.’’

Tsonga improved to 5-11 against Federer.

“I’m working hard, my motivation came back,’’ said Tsonga, who has battled knee problems over the past two years. “I want to win, I want to play my best tennis on the court. And it happened today.’’

Federer dropped to 2-5 in finals this season, with his victories coming in Dubai and Halle. The Swiss star made several uncharacteristic errors and had a hard time with Tsonga’s powerful serve and ground strokes.

AP