David Ferrer splits apart Gilles Simon to reach the quarter-finals - Internazionali BNL d'Italia 2012
Spanish number two, David Ferrer, trounced the 12th ranked French, Gilles Simon, in the pre-quarters of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia. He squashed the 27-year-old in straight sets 6-0, 7-6(5) to book a spot in the
quarter-finals of the tournament.
Ferrer took an hour and 37 minutes to register his fourth win over the French 11th seed. He has just lost to him once in the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters 2011. Otherwise, he has been very prolific and never
provided any opportunity for the French to go through him.
The first set was pure class and domination from the Spaniard who showed no holds barred. He won 24 points out of 33 total played and broke serve thrice on the trot to end the set in quick succession. It seemed like he was playing
with some minnow. There was absolutely no resistance shown by Simon; not a single move that depicted something about his overall performance in the tournament.
Ferrer registered an impressive first and second serve conversion rate and deprived his opponent to grab anything at all. Simon served two aces that proved to be the consoling factor at the end. However, the bagel is itself a major
embarrassment especially for someone who is ranked 12th in the world and has remained a number six player in the world in his supreme era.
However, the Spaniard kept the set alive with a successful breakthrough in a ‘do or die’ game. Both players swapped breakthroughs to enforce the tie-breaker round. No one expected such a brilliant comeback from the French after
witnessing such a miserable defeat in the first half.
Ferrer stayed focused and edged out in the tie-breaker to win the match. He will take on the likes of the 16th seed French starlet, Richard Gasquet, in the hunt for a spot in the semi-final of the tournament.
After facing such an embarrassing defeat in the opening set, everyone thought that Simon will bow down quickly in the second part of the game but he restored some respect with his supreme game play and almost enforced the final
set into play.
First six games witnessed no drama at all except the two wasted breakpoints on Ferrer’s part in the sixth game. However, the shackles were broken in the following game and to the surprise of everyone; it was the French starlet
bagging the first breakthrough of the set.
Tags: