ATP Marseille Open: Local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeats Tomas Berdych

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: The Frenchman comes from behind to claim Marseille Open

Local favourite Jo-Wilfried Tsonga showed plenty of fighting spirit to come from a set down to defeat Tomas Berdych in the final of the ATP Marseille Open.

Top seed Berdych had beaten the Frenchman in four of their five previous matches but Tsonga came through a pulsating contest 3-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 in two hours and 10 minutes on court to claim his 10th Tour title.

The Le Mans-born player fell behind as World No. 6 Berdych comfortably took the opening set 6-3, after breaking his opponent in the sixth game of the opening set before closing it out confidently with a forehand volley.

He then had three chances to break in the second, but Tsonga saved a crucial point with the score at 4-4 before a dramatic tie-break that saw him fend off match point with an ace before levelling the match and forcing the decider.

It turned out to be the turning point of the final as third seed Tsonga maintained his momentum in the decider, taking it 6-4 courtesy of a single break of serve in the third game.

Tsonga paid tribute to the rousing support he received on the Mediterranean coast following his second title in Marseille after his 2009 triumph by telling the home crowd: "This victory, I owe it to you."