Gilles Simon rallies past Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the first round – Wimbledon Championships 2011
World number 16 Gilles Simon of France came back after losing the first set to beat compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin, ranked 145th in the world, in four sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3) in the first round of Wimbledon Championships
at the All England Club in London on Tuesday. It took the French two hours and 59 minutes to overpower his opponent in a tough contest.
Roger-Vasselin drew the first blood as he broke Simon in the third game of the opening set and held his serve in the next game to take a 2-0 lead. Simon broke back in the fourth game to level the score at 2-2. Roger-Vasselin broke
again in the ninth game and won the set 6-4. The French hit twelve winners and won 44 percent of the receiving points in the first set. The 27-year-old converted two of the six break points he received on Simon’s serve and failed to save the only break point
on his own serve in the opening set.
After getting outplayed by his opponent in the first set, Simon needed only a single break of serve in the second set to win it 6-4. The French delivered 65 percent of the first serves and two aces in the second set. The right-handed
hit thirteen winners and claimed a whopping 80 percent of the first service points in the second set. Simon capitalised on one of the two break point opportunities he created on Roger-Vasselin’s serve in the second set.
In the third set, Simon broke his compatriot in the sixth game and held his next service game to blaze forward to a 5-2 lead. The French served out the set at 5-3. The 26-year-old fired four aces and grabbed 86 percent of the first
service points in the third set. Simon claimed 71 percent of the net approach points and hit fourteen winners. The French converted one of the six break points he received on his opponent’s serve and saved all the three break points on his own serve in the
third set.
Simon and Roger-Vasselin exchanged one break of serve in the first twelve games of the fourth set, levelling the score at 6-6 to force a tie-break. The former bagged two mini-breaks in the tie-break to seal it 7-3. The six feet
tall hit 50 percent of the first serves and twelve winners in the fourth set. The French won 75 percent of the points on the second serve in the fourth set. The Neuchatel, Switzerland resident clinched one of the eight break points he received on Roger-Vasselin’s
serve in the fourth set.
Simon is drawn to play world number 84 Dudi Sela of Israel in the second round. The Israeli defeated Frederico Gil of Portugal in straight sets 6-4, 6-1, 6-4 in the first round.
Tags: