PARIS — Roger Federer‘s tough season ended on a high note after the Swiss star beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-1, 7-6 (3) on Sunday to win his first Paris Masters title and the 69th of a glittering career.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion had never previously reached the Paris final, but gave the sixth-seeded Frenchman limited opportunities after saving two break points in his opening service game.
The former No. 1 will end the season without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2002, and his ranking has dropped to No. 4. But Federer has bounced back of late, winning the Swiss Indoors last week before arriving in Paris.
Federer’s 18th Masters title puts him one ahead of Andre Agassi and one behind all-time leader Rafael Nadal. The 30-year-old heads into the eight-man ATP World Tour Finals in London next week on a 12-match winning streak.
Matthew captures Ochoa Invitational
GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Catriona Matthew won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational for her fourth career LPGA Tour title, closing with a 1-under-par 71 for a four-stroke victory in the 36-player event.
Matthew, the 42-year-old Scot whose last LPGA Tour victory came in the 2009 Women’s British Open, had a 12-under 276 total. Anna Nordqvist and 2010 winner I.K. Kim tied for second. They each shot 71.
• Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano won the rain-delayed Singapore Open, beating Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines with a birdie on the second playoff hole.
Hamilton wins F1 race
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Lewis Hamilton showed signs of his old self as he stormed to victory in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel retired on the first lap.
Vettel’s Red Bull car punctured a right rear tire and spun off the track. The German driver made it back to the pits, but was forced to retire for the first time this season. Hamilton, the 2008 champion, took over the lead from Vettel and finished 8.4 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso for his third win of the season.
• Del Worsham (top fuel) and Matt Hagan (funny car) raced to their first NHRA season championships and won in the season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif.
Eddie Krawiec claimed his second pro stock motorcycle championship while pro stock champ Jason Line had secured his title two weeks ago. Greg Stanfield (pro stock) and Andrew Hines (pro stock motorcycle) also won at Pomona.
Footnotes.
Buffalo Sabres goalie Ryan Miller is out indefinitely with a concussion after being leveled by a hit from Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic on Saturday.
• Quinton Porter scored on a 1-yard run in overtime and the visiting Hamilton Tiger-Cats added a two-point conversion to beat Montreal 52-44 in the CFL’s East Division semifinal, ending the Alouettes’ bid for a third straight Grey Cup title.
• Two powerboat racers were injured when their 38-foot boat slammed into a wave in the final races of the Key West World Championship in Florida, where three competitors died last week.
