Gilles Simon thrashes Mardy Fish in the third round – French Open 2011
World number 18 Gilles Simon of France cruised past American number 1 Mardy Fish, ranked 10th in the world, in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 in the third round of French Open at Roland Garros in Paris on Saturday. The
French took two hours to oust his opponent in a one-sided contest.
Simon and Fish held their serve in the first seven games of the opening set, taking the score to 4-3 in favour of the French. Finally, it was Simon who got the breakthrough, breaking Fish in the eighth game to take a 5-3 lead and
served out the set in the ninth game, winning the first set 6-3.
The French delivered 57 percent of the first serves, grabbing 75 percent of the points on them in the opening set. In comparison, Fish had a slightly lower first serve percentage as he hit 55 percent of the first serves but the
American lagged far behind in the conversion rate, converting just 58 percent of the first serves into points in the opening set. The 29-year-old managed to hit just three winners compared to six winners by Simon. Fish was too off colour as he made a horrible
eighteen unforced errors compared to just eight by his opponent. Simon converted the only break point he received on Fish’s serve and did not face any break point on his own serve in the opening set.
After winning the first set easily, the French came roaring in the second set, breaking Fish in the first and third game to blaze forward to a 4-0 lead. Fish claimed one break back, breaking Simon in the eighth game to reduce the
Frenchman’s lead to 5-3. However, that was not enough as Simon succeeded in holding his serve in the tenth game and won the set 6-4.
The French fired two aces and 64 percent of the first deliveries in the second set, bagging 83 percent of the points on them. On the other hand, Fish kept his first serve percentage at 65 percent, winning the same percentage of
points on the first serve in the second set. The American kept suffering because of his erratic game, making thirteen unforced errors in the second set. The right-handed capitalized on the only break opportunity he created on Simon’s serve but failed to save
two of the four break points he faced on his own serve in the second set.
Just like the second set, Simon clinched first four games in the third set, breaking his opponent in the first and third game. Consolidating on the double break of serve, the French served out the set at 5-2.
The 26-year-old will take on world number 5 Robin Soderling of Sweden in the fourth round. The Swede, seeded fifth at the event, defeated Argentinean Leonardo Mayer in straight sets 6-1, 6-4, 6-3 in the third round.
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