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Jo-Wilfred Tsonga has claimed his first ATP singles title in 18 months, battling past world number 11 David Goffin 4-6 6-4 6-1 in Rotterdam.
Tsonga had a terrific run to the final, defeating Marin Cilic and Thomas Berdych in straight sets along the way.
Goffin used his crafty groundstrokes to keep Tsonga off balance throughout the first set, as the Frenchman struggled to find the range on his forehand.
As the second set progressed however, Tsonga started to power his way past Goffin, who appeared to be nervous and fatiguing.
Having missed out on four set points, Tsonga ripped two forehand winners to break Goffin’s serve and seal the second set, and lost only one game from there.
Goffin can take heart in the fact that he will enter the world’s top ten for the first time as a result of his strong start to 2017.
In other events, American Ryan Harrison won his first ATP singles title in Memphis, after winning the challenger event in Dallas recently.
Harrison defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-1 6-4 in the final, and did not drop a set in the entire tournament.
In Buenos Aires, flamboyant Ukrainian Alexander Dolgopolov won his third career title, defeating world number 5 Kei Nishikori 7-6 6-4 in the final.
Dolgopolov has had a disappointing start to the 2017 season, having dropped four of his first five matches before not losing a set en route to the title in Buenos Aires.
For the Australians, former world number 61 Matthew Ebden has continued his strong start to 2017 after an injury plagued 2016. Ebden qualified in Memphis and won two three-set matches to reach the quarter finals, losing to eventual runner up Nikoloz Basilashvili.
Davis Cup hero Jordan Thompson also fell to Basilashvili in the first round. Thompson had opportunities to get ahead in the first set but failed to capitalise, and fell 6-3 6-0 in his first match after the Australian summer.
Thompson will play a challenger event this week where he is the top seed.
Also this week is another ATP 500 event on the red clay in Rio, which is led by Kei Nishikori and Dominic Thiem.
Nick Kyrgios returns to action in Marseille as the third seed, with a potential quarter-final match scheduled with Alexander Zverev.
Bernard Tomic will be seeded sixth in Delray Beach, with that event being headlined by world number four Milos Raonic.
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