In tennis, to qualify for the Olympic Games, one must be among the top 70 players in the world. Gilles Simon has passed this first stage without difficulty, but the hardest part is yet to come.
Gilles Simon, the Tactician!
*”The Niçois has little chance of winning a medal,”* assures Alain Koubi, president of the Regional Olympic and Sports Committee (CROS). His current results confirm this. Since his semi-finals in Monte Carlo, Nice, and his title in Bucharest, the Azuréen has been experiencing a series of underperformances, as evidenced by his third-round exit at Roland Garros.
Should we really count on him for the London Olympics? On grass, Thierry Tulasne’s protégé is not the best: he was eliminated in the first round at Queens and in the second round at Wimbledon. But the problem seems deeper than that. Gilles Simon has just been ousted in Hamburg by the German Tommy Haas in the second round, despite being the number two seed. Where is the conquering and tactical Niçois? Where is his unwavering confidence since he became a father to young Timothy? The Olympic task seems to be a very difficult mountain to climb given the current level of the Azuréen.
Despite everything, Gilles Simon has secured 10 titles in singles, the latest being in April 2012 in Bucharest, Romania. The Australian Open quarter-finalist is the third most titled French player after Yannick Noah and Guy Forget. Energized by the event, the current world number twelve is capable of surpassing himself. Let’s recall that he has already defeated members of the big three, namely Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer. He is capable of the worst as well as the best.
