Gilles Simon downs Andy Roddick in the opening round of Internazionali BNL d'Italia
World number nineteen Gilles Simon of France scored an easy victory over the 12th seed, American Andy Roddick, beating him in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of Internazionali BNL d'Italia at Foro Italico
in Rome on Monday. The French needed just an hour and 22 minutes to oust his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Simon gained the lead straightaway as he broke Roddick in the opening game of the first set and held his serve in the next game to go up 2-0. Serving to stay in the set at 3-5, Roddick hit a backhand long to hand over the opening
set to Simon, losing 3-6.
The French hit two aces and 50 percent of the first deliveries in the opening set, bagging 82 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, Roddick kept his first serve percentage at 69 percent and grabbed 60 percent of the
points on his first serve. The American failed to save two of the five break points he faced in the first set.
Roddick made a successful start to the second set as he broke his opponent in the opening game of the set. But, his success was short lived as the French broke back immediately in the next game to level the score at 1-1. After
that, Simon won three consecutive games, breaking the American in the fourth game and taking a 4-1 lead. Serving at 40-15 in the ninth game, Simon volleyed a winner to claim the set 6-3.
The French fired two aces and 62 percent of the first serves in the second set. The 26-year-old clinched 78 percent of the first service points in the second set. In comparison, Roddick did not serve up to his standard as the American
had a first serve percentage of just 67 percent, winning 50 percent of the points on them. The right-handed could save only one of the three break points he faced in the second set.
Simon said, commenting on the match, “I played a good match in difficult windy conditions. Even if Andy is more at ease on the fast surface, 6-3, 6-3 against him, for me, it’s a very good result. I’ve been playing good tennis for
some weeks.”
This is Roddick’s second straight opening round loss, losing to Italian Flavio Cipolla in three sets 4-6, 7-6(7), 3-6 in the round of 64 at the Mutua Madrid Open last week.
Talking to the reporters after the match, Roddick said, “He moves very well, which you don’t want to see when you are short of matches like I was today, when you are not getting clean hits. We soon got into rallies and it became
a battle striking the ball in movement, I was coming second sometimes.”
Simon will face either John Isner of USA or Argentinean Juan Ignacio Chela in the second round.
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