It was announced in December that Ivan Ljubicic, a former world number three, would be hired in a move widely interpreted as Roger Federer trying to find a way to defeat a dominant Novak Djokovic
The 31st-ranked American, who is seeded sixth in Metz, got off to a slow start but managed to force a tiebreaker in the second set and pull through in the only first round match of the day.
Tsonga, currently number eight in the ATP world rankings, suffered a left knee injury during Wimbledon that forced him to withdraw.
Top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France began the defense of his Moselle Open title with a comfortable 6-3, 6-3 win against countryman Clement Reix in the second round on Wednesday.
American James Blake beat French wild-card Albano Olivetti 6-2, 7-6 (4) on Monday despite giving up 19 aces in the first round of the Moselle Open.
Rafael Nadal won an unprecedented eighth straight title at the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, defeating Novak Djokovic 6-3, 6-1.
Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek were routed 2-6, 0-6 by top seeds Mike and Bob Bryan as the Indian challenge ended at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters, here.
Novak Djokovic dropped serve four times before beating Robin Haase 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Monte Carlo Masters semifinal on Friday, and admitted afterward that his thoughts were still very much elsewhere.
Second seed Rafael Nadal continued the quest for an eighth straight title at the Monte Carlo Masters as he dispatched Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan 6-1, 6-1 in exactly one hour.
Novak Djokovic buried his grief to advance to the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday, just hours after learning of the death in Serbia of his beloved grandfather.
Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic said his goodbyes to tennis on Sunday after suffering a 6-0, 6-3 opening defeat to compatriot Ivan Dodig at the Monte Carlo Masters.
France's Richard Gasquet has pulled out of the Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo after injuring his ankle playing football, his coach Riccardo Piatti said on Thursday.
Croatia's former world number three Ivan Ljubicic announced Thursday he will retire from the sport after competing in the Monte Carlo ATP event in April.
Top-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia beat Slovakia's Karol Beck 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 on Monday to advance to the second round of the Zagreb Indoors tournament.
Marin Cilic deployed his powerful serve to ease past fellow Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-3 on Saturday and reach the final of the China Open.
India's Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi bowed out of the men's doubles quarterfinals of China Open tennis.
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France beat Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in the final of the Moselle Open on Sunday to win his first title since 2009.
Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic fired 26 aces Saturday to edge Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5) and reach the final of the Moselle Open.
