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12/17/08 6:05 PM | Ricky Dimon
TennisTalk, throughout the off-season, will recap the ATP's best matches in 2008. Part 7 features Gilles Simon's heart-stopping run to the final of the Masters Series Madrid.
Gilles Simon began his 2008 campaign at 29th in the world. By May, he had dropped to 36th. With under-appreciated talent, even labeled a "pusher" more often than not, Simon continue to lurk under the radar, little-known amongst anything other than die-hard fans.
That's when the Frenchman began to take the tennis world by storm. He won the first title of the U.S Open Series in Indianapolis and eventually followed that up with a surprising appearance in the semifinals of the Masters Series Canada, where he upset Roger Federer en route. Never did Simon stun the tennis world more, however, than he did at the Masters Series Madrid in October.
Simon won five straight matches in three sets--an incredible four in third-set tiebreakers--en route to the Madrid title match.
With Masters Cup hopes adding even more pressure to the week, Simon had to save three match points just to get out of the first round. He was serving down 5-6, 0-40 against Igor Andreev, but Simon stormed back to force a tiebreaker, which he took nine points to seven after capitalizing on his third match point. In the second round, Simon actually managed to finish things off before a decisive tiebreaker. James Blake had defeated Simon in Cincinnati and at the Olympics and won the first set in Madrid, but Simon recovered to get revenge 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
It didn't seem possible, but it got even more interesting for Simon after that. He had to save two more match points in the third round before ousting Robby Ginepri 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(6). Next up in the quarterfinals was 6'10'' Ivo Karlovic. The giant Croat often goes to tiebreakers, but usually without any breaks of serve taking place. This time, however, Karlovic broke Simon four times in the match while Simon returned the favor three times. Simon, however, was far too tough in two tiebreakers, and thus able to take the match 7-6(1), 4-6, 7-6(2).
For Simon, he could not have capped off the amazing week in more perfect fashion. How did he do it? Well, he shocked Rafael Nadal on the world No. 1's home turf, and he did so in yet another third-set tiebreaker. Despite losing the first set, Simon clawed back to silence the crowd in the form of an epic 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(6) victory.
Simon's loss to Andy Murray in the title matched hardly put a damper on the surreal week. "I couldn't move like I'm used to and Andy knew it, so he tried to kill me by making me run." Yeah, that's what usually happens after playing five three-set matches in a row.
Said Simon after his win over Nadal: "I played in a great match on a nice court against a great, great player and I just dont want to miss that so I want to fight for every point.... If the match lasts three or four hours, then so be it."
Just call him the marathon man.
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I had a lot of fun at this match..crazyness!!!
RafaNadalGirl20 , 12/17/08 11:20 PM