Gilles Simon dismisses Gael Monfils to advance to the last four – Thailand Open 2012
Fourth seed, Gilles Simon of France, moved to the semi-finals on the ATP World Tour for the sixth time in this season by defeating his compatriot, Gael Monfils, in the quarter-finals of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.
Simon did not show any respite to his Davis Cup team mate and friend, beating him in straight sets 6-4, 6-1 in just an hour and 24 minutes.
Monfils drew the first blood, as he broke Simon in the opening game and held his next serve to attain a 2-0 lead. However, the higher ranked Frenchman struck back straightaway to equalise the score at 2-2. The following five games
went with serve, taking the proceedings to 5-4 in favour of Simon. Serving to stay in the set at that moment, Monfils managed to win just a couple of points and went down 4-6.
Beginning of the second set was exactly same as the first, as Monfils hit a blow to Simon in the very first game and moved ahead 1-0. However, Simon grabbed complete control on the proceedings after that, striking three times and
clinching six in a row to seal it 6-1.
Simon stated during the post match press conference, "It was difficult to win against him. I always try everything to win, even if [Monfils] was not in his best shape. I think it was tough but I played him the right way. My game
is fine. It’s difficult to say something about it today because I don’t really play my game with Gael. I've known him for a long time, so I know the way I have to play him and I think I will have to play another [style of] game tomorrow."
The Frenchman will take on the top seed, Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia in the semi-finals. Tipsarevic downed Spain’s fifth seeded player, Fernando Verdasco, in the quarters.
The Serbian said on playing Simon, “I have played Gilles many times. I lost more than I won. He is the previous champion here. He knows the surface.”
Simon is bidding to win his second ATP World Tour 250 event of this season.
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