At a stage when most French players fail to convert, Gilles Simon is one who keeps his cool and takes his chances. He showed another glimpse of his strength today, when he collected his ninth ATP title, dispatching the Spaniard Nicolas Almagro in the Hamburg final.
Simon's ability to not choke under pressure and to deliver at the most crucial times helped him make it as high as number 6 in the world after reaching the quarterfinals at the 2009 Australian Open. Nevertheless, his path to glory suffered a big blow later that year, when a knee injury sidelined him for several months. Upon his comeback, he wasn't quite the same player and it took some time before he reached top form again. A string of uncharacteristically poor results saw his rankings go down as low as number 52 in November 2010. Things got back on track though, when he captured the trophy in Metz. Cheered by a partisan crowd, he signaled his return to the winning circle after a lengthy absence. Ever since, he took small steps towards reclaiming his status among the elite of the men's tennis. Little by little he made it back and is now knocking on the door of a top 10 return, as he will the 11th on the list due to be released on Monday.
This week was a struggle for Gilles. After the quick dismissal of Ukrainian Stakhovsky, four three setter followed. The victory over top seeded Monfils proved extremely important as it generated the confidence he needed. In the semifinals we defied the odds and defeated Russian Mikail Youznhy just for the second time in nine career meetings. Having battled so hard for his place in the grand finale, the Frenchman was determined to make the most out of it. He fought off numerous break points to win a high class first set, 6-4. A bit of a stumbling at the end cost him the second act, 4-6. In the decider, an early break proved crucial for Simon, who ensured a 6-4,4-6,6-4 victory. It all payed off in the end for the tenacious French player who won the second title of 2011 (he succeeded in Sydney in January). It also marked a revenge over Almagro, who is one of two players to deny Simon an ATP crown (i.e. in Valencia in 2006). Moreover, he became the first Frenchman to triumph at the German Open since Henri Leconte's beat Miroslav Mecir 25 years ago.
Unlike his more talented compatriots, i.e. the likes of Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Simon collects title after title. Although he is yet to match their Grand Slam achievements, his tally recommends his as the most successful active French player. Although he lacks their power and aggressiveness, his consistency can prove a more sustainable quality.
Simon's ability to not choke under pressure and to deliver at the most crucial times helped him make it as high as number 6 in the world after reaching the quarterfinals at the 2009 Australian Open. Nevertheless, his path to glory suffered a big blow later that year, when a knee injury sidelined him for several months. Upon his comeback, he wasn't quite the same player and it took some time before he reached top form again. A string of uncharacteristically poor results saw his rankings go down as low as number 52 in November 2010. Things got back on track though, when he captured the trophy in Metz. Cheered by a partisan crowd, he signaled his return to the winning circle after a lengthy absence. Ever since, he took small steps towards reclaiming his status among the elite of the men's tennis. Little by little he made it back and is now knocking on the door of a top 10 return, as he will the 11th on the list due to be released on Monday.
This week was a struggle for Gilles. After the quick dismissal of Ukrainian Stakhovsky, four three setter followed. The victory over top seeded Monfils proved extremely important as it generated the confidence he needed. In the semifinals we defied the odds and defeated Russian Mikail Youznhy just for the second time in nine career meetings. Having battled so hard for his place in the grand finale, the Frenchman was determined to make the most out of it. He fought off numerous break points to win a high class first set, 6-4. A bit of a stumbling at the end cost him the second act, 4-6. In the decider, an early break proved crucial for Simon, who ensured a 6-4,4-6,6-4 victory. It all payed off in the end for the tenacious French player who won the second title of 2011 (he succeeded in Sydney in January). It also marked a revenge over Almagro, who is one of two players to deny Simon an ATP crown (i.e. in Valencia in 2006). Moreover, he became the first Frenchman to triumph at the German Open since Henri Leconte's beat Miroslav Mecir 25 years ago.
Unlike his more talented compatriots, i.e. the likes of Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Simon collects title after title. Although he is yet to match their Grand Slam achievements, his tally recommends his as the most successful active French player. Although he lacks their power and aggressiveness, his consistency can prove a more sustainable quality.
photo: AFP
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