2010 Valencia Open; Gilles Simon versus Marcel Granollers – Match Preview
The top half of the main draw at the 2010 Valencia Open 500 Men’s singles competition has produced two shocking semi finalists while the lower half has held true to form, and on Saturday all four contenders left will fight it out for the final spot.
In the opening match of the day, the former top ten French player Gilles Simon will take on Marcel Granollers, a lucky loser from Spain in an all unseeded battle. Both of them are currently tied at 1-1 in their head-to-head encounter with Granollers triumphing
in Valencia back in 2007 on clay, however, Simon getting an avenge of his loss a year later at the United States Open in four sets.
The 24-year-old Granollers is playing in his second ATP World Tour semi-final in 2010. The professional tennis ace from Spain previously reached the semi-final round this season in Bucharest before losing at the hands of Andujar back in September. The right
hander was also a quarter finalist in Santiago during the start of this year.
Marcel, who made his debut on the ATP World tour back in 2003 comes in with a win loss mark of 20-20 on the season and is playing in Valencia on the third occasion in his career. The Spaniard gained entry into the main draw of the championship as a lucky
loser when the seventh seed Jo Wilfried Tsonga withdrew as a result of his knee injury.
World number 67, who achieved his career high ranking of number 44 back in 2009, has lost just a single set on his way to the semi-final round in Valencia. He started off his tournament’s campaign with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Benoit Paire, a qualifier from France,
followed by a straight set victory over Pablo Andujar. The professional tennis ace from Spain advanced into the final four after getting the better of Juan Monaco of Argentine in a three-setter clash. The final match score was 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
The 1.90 meters tall Marcel is attempting to reach his second overall title battle. He captured his only singles crown in Houston back in 2008 during the world of April.
The French tennis sensation, Simon is playing in his second ATP World Tour semi-final in 2010. The 25-year-old won his seventh career ATP World Tour trophy back in September in Metz, beating Zverev in straight sets.
He owns a win loss mark of 22-15 on the year and is looking to make his way into his tenth career ATP World Tour final. The right hander opened his account in Valencia on Monday with a straight set win over Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine. The final match score
was 6-3, 6-3.
The professional tennis ace from France made his way into the quarter final round with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Fernando Verdasco. In the final eighth round, Simon overpowered the sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko to make his way into the semi-final round in Valencia.
The final match score was 6-7, (5) 6-3.
His other notable performances in 2010 include four quarter final appearances in Eastbourne, Washington, Beijing and Montpellier. Simon who is currently ranked number 48 in the South African Airways ATP list achieved his career highest ranking of world number
six back in 2009.
Simon after being sidelined for almost three months as a result of his injury made a return on the tour back in June. He also contested from his country in the Davis Cup and helped his side to reach the final where they will meet France.
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