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10/29/09 10:02 PM | Ricky Dimon
Gilles Simon becomes the seventh Frenchman to join the Lyon quarterfinal party on Thursday night. Ivan Ljubicic is the only outsider to grab an invitation.
(2) Gilles Simon d. (Q) David Guez 6-1, 6-2
Simon crushed Guez in just 52 minutes on Thursday night, booking his place in the quarterfinals of the Grand Prix de Tennis de Lyon along with sixth other Frenchmen. The No. 2 seed's entry into the last eight was never in doubt against his 204th-ranked countryman. Simon broke serve three times in each set and--amazingly--converted every single one of his six break-point opportunities. After missing two break chances in the first frame of play, Guez capitalized on one of three in the second, but it was nowhere near enough. Simon will take on compatriot and No. 5 seed Julien Benneteau for a spot in the semifinals.
(WC) Michael Llodra d. (4) Juan Monaco 6-3, 6-4
Llodra has always been at his best on indoor hard courts, and it was no different on Thursday evening in Lyon against Monaco. The French wildcard struck 11 aces and never faced a break point en route to dispatching Monaco after one hour and 14 minutes of play. Monaco, who is a force on clay but has won only four hard-court matches this entire season, surrendered serve once in each set and that was one too many each time. Llodra broke at 4-3 in the first set, held easily to close it out, then broke again early in the second frame of play. From there it was all but over. The world No. 107, who won 31 of 37 first-serve points, is set to face countryman Marc Gicquel, a straight-set winner over No. 6 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu.
(3) Ivan Ljubicic d. Nicolas Kiefer 6-3, 3-6, 6-3
Ljubicic fired 27 aces and no double-faults on his way the Lyon quarterfinals, overpowering Kiefer in one hour and 42 minutes. The 30-year-old Croat blasted 12 aces in the first set and lost a mere six points in five service games. After Kiefer converted his lone break-point chance of the match during set two, Ljubicic bounced back to produce more brilliance on serve in the third. This week's No. 3 seed added 11 more aces and dropped only four points in five service games. Ljubicic broke the 32-year-old German at 4-3, thus allowing himself to serve out the proceedings in routine fashion at 5-3. Next up for Ljubicic is Florent Serra, who took out eighth-seeded Albert Montanes in straight sets on Wednesday.
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