Jerzy Janowicz ousts Gilles Simon to reach final – BNP Paribas Masters 2012
Polish qualifier, Jerzy Janowicz, captured his fifth win over a top-20 player, as he defeated the world number 16, Gilles Simon, in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 in the semi-finals of the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris on Saturday.
The 21-year-old, who defeated his three higher ranked opponents in the qualify draws to reach the main round stage, has become the first player to reach the final of an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event on his debut in the last
12 years.
Coming back to his semi-final encounter against Simon, both players held their serve in the first four games to take the score to 2-2. Janowicz managed to claim a breakthrough in the fifth and consolidated on it to gain a 4-2 lead.
The Polish contender maintained his lead till the end and closed it 6-4.
Second set was even more competitive than the first, as Simon and Janowicz did not drop their serve in the first 10 games, equalising the proceedings at 2-2. The Polish participant took complete control of the match later on, as
he dropped just three points in the following two games, winning it 7-5.
The 6ft 8in tall relied on his serve to inflict most damage on his opponent throughout the match. The right-hander bombarded 12 aces on Simon and captured 33 of the 40 points on the first deliveries. The Lodz, Poland resident did
not allow his French rival to claim even a single break opportunity and availed two of the four of his own.
Even Janowicz himself could not believe how he managed to reach this far in this ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event.
The Polish player said, “When I had match point today, I felt a little bit strange. I had chicken skin. I was a little bit nervous during this match point, but this was really an unbelievable feeling. I just said to myself before
this match point to not change anything, just to play the same game as I played before. I did this. I finished the match with a drop shot.”
He added, “I was always a confident guy, but I was dreaming about top 100. I broke top 100 this year. But I could never expect something like this. I came here to play qualifications, and suddenly I'm in the final.”
Janowicz will be bidding to become his country’s first tour level title winner in the last 30 years.
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