Off to the semifinals this Friday on Suzanne Lenglen Avenue. Only two of the top four seeds are still in the running: Gilles Simon (#2) and Nicolas Almagro (#3) are considered favorites after the eliminations of John Isner, who was the tournament’s number one seed, and Gaël Monfils.
A high-level final four for matches that have delivered a few surprises.
The program begins with the qualification of the very famous Bryan brothers who won 6-4 6-4 against the Qureshi-Rojer pair. Yet another final reached for the current third-ranked pair in the world.
2:30 PM, the spectators’ patience is rewarded, Gilles Simon and Nicolas Almagro enter the court … The first semifinal can begin!
Almagro too strong for Simon
The Frenchman Gilles Simon will not play in the Nice Open final for his first participation, due to an in-form Nicolas Almagro.
Right from the start of the match, the Spaniard dominated the court and completely stifled the player from Nice. Almagro hits hard, too hard for the Frenchman who cannot keep up the pace.
Quickly, the score rolls by, break … double break, after only 24 minutes of play, the Frenchman concedes the first set harshly, 6/1. More impactful on serve with notably 8 aces, it’s the Spaniard controlling the game, while Simon only managed two small winning shots, far too few to trouble the defending champion.
With his back against the wall, the Frenchman must start the second set well, hoping to destabilize the 2011 edition winner.
On the contrary, he quickly falls behind. The number 3 seed maintains the same intensity and forces Gilles Simon into mistakes.
Despite the unwavering support of a group of supporters, present since the start of the week, the Frenchman stops just before the final, never having been able to trouble his opponent.
In the press conference, the Frenchman keeps smiling, not too worried with the approach of Roland Garros.
In a display of sportsmanship, he acknowledges the superiority of his opponent. “He made very few mistakes. He played a flawless match, just incredible. I was really focused on this match and on him. I felt good but there are very few players who have this ability to hit so hard. He put me two meters away from the ball several times”, admitted the Nice native despite a resounding defeat.
Almagro will attempt to repeat his last year’s performance in the final, which he reached for the second consecutive time at the Nice Open.
Unstoppable Baker!
But who will be able to stop the Brian Baker tornado?
Emerging from the qualifiers, this friendly yet virtually unknown player before the start of the week is putting on an impressive tournament. The winner against Gaël Monfils, ranked 13th in the world, the 216th in the ATP ranking continues his journey in Nice, and no one seems able to stop him…
In the quarterfinals, he saved a match point against the Kazakh Kukushkin and squeezed through in the deciding game of the final set.
In this tournament, everything is working for him; the American is like an untouched slate. No one resists him, not even the Russian Davydenko. Often challenged, he always manages to rectify more than compromised situations.
Today again, Baker showed he has nerves of steel in addition to a very sharp eye and incredible finesse.
Trailing 2/5 in the first set, he draws level at 5/5. With his back against the wall, the American excels. In the tie-break, he takes the lead (3/1), but Davydenko shifts into high gear and strings together five consecutive points to have three set points.
Very aggressive on returns, Baker takes his chances and fends off the first two. Finally, the third is the charm for the Russian, who skirts the lines.
It could have been too much for the American, quite worn out physically following the match series since the first day of the qualifiers.
Yet, the Nashville native persists and breaks his opponent in the second set, which he wins 6/4.
In the third act, he continues his momentum and pulls ahead 2/0. The world’s 39th-ranked player, who ousted John Isner the day before, shows signs of fatigue. The American takes advantage and qualifies for his first ATP final.
Another very impressive victory for this astonishing 27-year-old player, who arrived in Nice with all simplicity, 6/7 (5/7) 6/4 6/2!!! A battle lasting over two hours for this player participating in his very first clay court tournament.
On Saturday, the day of the final, Nicolas Almagro has been forewarned, and why not a Baker victory? If his physical condition holds up, of course.
