Gilles Simon met an old acquaintance in the second round of the Murray River Open, in the person of Jérémy Chardy. But the player from Nice was defeated by an opponent in excellent form.
On paper, the match promised to be closely contested between Gilles Simon, the 64th-ranked player in the world, and Jérémy Chardy, ranked 66th. The first four encounters between the two Frenchmen had been won by the player from Nice, but the last three had been claimed by the Béarnais. Suspense was guaranteed.
With four double faults in the first set, Gilles Simon put himself in a tough spot against a very solid opponent from the baseline. Struggling with his serve (only winning 20% of points behind his second serve), the player from Nice was under pressure. After saving a break point at 2-1, he eventually lost his service game. Trailing 4-2, the 36-year-old from the Côte d’Azur fought hard and earned a break point. However, Jérémy Chardy managed to save it. The Béarnais was relentless on his service games (72% of first serves, 81% of points won behind his first serve). After 42 minutes, Jérémy Chardy finally took the first set (6-3).
Gilles Simon powerless
Gilles Simon tried to push Jérémy Chardy into longer rallies, but the Béarnais shortened them thanks to the power of his forehand in particular. The scenario of the first set repeated itself. The player from Nice was shaky on his serve, with only 38% of first serves in the second set. Jérémy Chardy eventually broke in the middle of the second set to take the lead (3-2). Gilles Simon did not give up but still could not threaten his opponent’s service games. The 33-year-old Béarnais secured his win in two sets (6-3, 6-4, after 1 hour and 23 minutes of play).
It was a logical defeat for Gilles Simon, dominated in all areas of the game by a Jérémy Chardy in excellent form. The player from Nice’s journey ended in the second round of this Murray River Open. Next week, Gilles Simon, along with Alizé Cornet and Fiona Ferro, will begin their campaigns at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year. The players from Nice will learn their first-round opponents tomorrow, after the draw.
