General / Editor / 02 May 2007 /

Paul-Henri Mathieu is hoping his third ATP Tour title at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca on Sunday, will kick-start his season.

The Frenchman, who had not won an event since 2002, defeated Albert Montanes 6-1 6-1 in just over an hour in Morocco.

Mathieu, who was seeded eight in Casablanca, was pleased with the way he dominated his opponent and is hoping he can take his good form into upcoming tournaments.

Speaking to ATP Tennis, the world number 42 said: "Playing a final is never easy, but I got a good start, which helped me a lot.
"I hope that I'll keep on playing well in the upcoming weeks, especially during the Masters Series events in Rome and Hamburg, and at Roland Garros of course."

Mathieu is back in action this week, when he takes his place in the field for the Estoril Open in Portugal.

The Frenchman is the underdog though going into his first round match against world number six Fernando Gonzalez. Mathieu is on offer at 2.3 while Gonzalez is trading at 1.71.

Meanwhile, Mathieu can be backed at 17 to claim this week's title in the outright winner's market, headed by Novak Djokovic (3).

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