Sunday, January 25, 2009

Simon through to quarter-finals

AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Venue: Melbourne Park Date: 19 January-1 February
Coverage: BBC Red Button, BBC One & Two (including all Andy Murray matches), Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Sport website (Red Button coverage streamed on website throughout fortnight)

Gilles Simon
Simon is into the first Grand Slam quarter-final of his career

Gilles Simon reached the last eight of the Australian Open after injury forced his French compatriot Gael Monfils to retire during their fourth-round match.

Sixth seed Simon led 6-4 2-6 6-1 and was 30-0 up in the first game of the fourth set when Monfils quit.

Monfils, seeded 12th, needed treatment on his right wrist during the third set and could not continue.

Simon faces either Spain's world number one Rafael Nadal or Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the quarter-finals.

Britain's Andy Murray is also in action later on Monday when he takes on Spain's Fernando Verdasco.

The winner of that match will take on either James Blake of the United States or 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last eight.

Simon is into his first Grand Slam quarter-final but was reluctant to celebrate given the manner of his victory over one of his closest friends on the tour.

"It is very hard, because we are very close," said Simon afterwards. "I did not want to win like this."

Both players had made an error-strewn start to the match with the bright sun on the Rod Laver Arena causing them problems on serve.

Monfils, in particular, had struggled - being broken three times and facing break points in every one of his service games in the first set.

But he responded with some breathtaking tennis to take the second set before breaking down in the third set.

Monfils took a medical time-out at 1-4 before being broken again as Simon took the third set and he was clearly in trouble.

The 22-year-old walked to the net soon after the start of the fourth set and, after telling Simon he could not continue, the pair embraced.

Second seed Roger Federer is already through to face Juan Martin del Potro after battling past Tomas Berdych in five sets on Sunday.

And reigning champion Novak Djokovic faces seventh seed Andy Roddick.

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