Returning Tsonga, Simon set up all-French final

METZ, France: Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will aim to cap his comeback from injury with a third consecutive title at the Metz Open on Sunday after setting up a final clash with compatriot Gilles Simon.
World number eight Tsonga, returning this week from a knee injury that sidelined him for three months after forcing him to retire from his second-round match at Wimbledon in June, recovered from a set down to beat German Florian Mayer 4-6 6-2 6-3 in the Metz semi-finals on Saturday.
The 28-year-old top seed, who recently parted ways with coach Roger Rasheed, will seek an 11th ATP Tour title of his career at the indoor tournament where he succeeded in 2011 and 2012.
Simon, seeded two in Metz, will also try to clinch an 11th crown on the tour after beating Nicolas Mahut 6-3 7-6 in their semi-final on Saturday without conceding a single break chance to his fellow countryman.
The 16th-ranked Simon had fought whooping cough, which made him miss the US Open, and arrived in Metz having not won a match since he reached the final at the Eastbourne grasscourt event in June.
He has a 10-4 win-loss record in finals but has never beaten Tsonga on hard courts.
“It’s true that I have a good ratio but I lost the last two (in Eastbourne and Bangkok last year). I hope that I will be able to give 100 percent tomorrow,” Simon told reporters.
Either Tsonga or Simon will join former world number four Guy Forget as the second most successful Frenchmen in the Open era. Only French Open winner Yannick Noah has won more titles — 23 — since 1968.

Gulbis to play Garcia-Lopez in St. Petersburg final
In Saint Petersburg, Latvia’s sixth seed Ernests Gulbis will play veteran Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in Sunday’s final of the ATP tournament in Saint Petersburg.
The 25-year-old Gulbis, the last seeded player left in the field, earned a 6-3, 6-3 victory over unheralded Pole Michal Przysiezny in his semi-final on Saturday.
Garcia-Lopez, who is 74th in the world, earned his final spot after beating Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 6-1.
In the first semi, the first set went with serve until the eighth game when Gulbis, ranked 36th in the world, made the vital break-through.
Gulbis broke early to take control of the second set and although Przysiezny, playing in his first ATP semi-final, gamely fought in his bid to level, Gulbis broke again in the ninth game to advance into the fourth final of his career.
“It wasn’t easy to play so early but luckily I managed to wake up in time and win,” said the outspoken Gulbis, who made headlines earlier this season by accusing the big four of men’s tennis — Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal — of being “boring“
“I’m set to win here but I expect the final to be a really tough clash.”
The 30-year-old Garcia-Lopez, who is seeking a third career title, said his game had been “much more difficult” than the 6-1, 6-1 scoreline let on.
“The final will be even more difficult,” the Spaniard predicted. “I hope I’ll be ready to battle for the title tomorrow.”