Just when you start to think that Agnieszka Radwanska and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga have passed their prime, the pair go and play a week like they’ve just played in Canada, reminding us all of what they’re really capable of.
Radwanska’s season had been filled with question marks prior to Montreal. She stormed into the semis at the Australian Open, taking out defending champion Victoria Azarenka en route, but then got hammered by Dominika Cibulkova, perhaps squandering a chance she may never get again with Serena Williams and Azarenka already eliminated and Maria Sharapova absent from the draw. She made the final in Indian Wells, then was crushed by Flavia Pennetta.
She lost to the unheralded Ajla Tomljanovic (who hasn't won a main draw match since) in the third round of the French Open and despite flying in the first week at Wimbledon, was blown away by Ekaterina Makarova there.
Radwanska’s 2014 had been average at best and her streaky performances defied logic and expectation. Yet somehow in Montreal, the Polish world No5 managed to follow through.
After her straight sets dismissal of Azarenka, Radwanska avenged her SW19 loss to Makarova, squeezing through before routinely besting Venus Williams in the final. It is the perfect way to silence not just her doubters, but the doubts within herself, and it looks like her year is salvageable.
Over in Toronto, Tsonga was on his own path to redemption, and he achieved it in even more emphatic fashion. The Frenchman exhibited consistency from the baseline, clutch serves on demand, nerves of steel, and most of all an insatiable hunger for success – something we haven’t been able to see from him, particularly against top players this year.
This was definitely not the Tsonga who rolled over against Novak Djokovic in Paris or Andy Murray in Miami. This was reminiscent of the 2008 Australian Open Tsonga, who took out Murray and Rafael Nadal on his way to the final.
Against Federer in the Toronto final, Tsonga saw break point after break point slip away, including a match point, yet still remained composed. He ran out of Hawk-Eye challenges but said he chose to trust the umpire and was not irked. Form like that can make him a US Open contender.
Meanwhile, Federer has now lost five finals this season. It’s true he’s playing some incredible tennis but you can’t help but sense he is no longer the closer he used to be. Has the Swiss lost his ruthless touch forever?
