By Tennis Now | Friday, September 21, 2018

 

No one beats Gilles Simon nine times in a row. Simon snapped his winless drought against Richard Gasquet to reach the Metz semifinals.

It was a first at last for Gilles Simon.

Winless in eight career Tour-level meetings with Richard Gasquet, a stubborn Simon snapped that streak of futility.

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Simon punished Gasquet's second serve in a 7-6 (4), 6-2 triumph to reach his third semifinal of the season in Metz.

Taking some second-serve returns on the rise, Simon won 15 of 21 points on Gasquet's second serve and converted three of four break points.

The slender Frenchman opened the season downsizing massive servers Marin Cilic and Kevin Anderson in succession to capture his 13th career title in Pune.

Simon will play Radu Albot for a spot in his 21st career final.

The 107th-ranked man from Moldova served seven aces stopping Ricardas Berankis, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Top-seeded Kei Nishikori took the first set against Nikoloz Basilashvili, 6-4, in his quarterfinal.

Two-time Metz champion Simon beat Albot in straight sets in their lone prior encounter at the 2014 US Open.

The 33-year-old Simon scored his first win over Gasquet since a 6-4, 6-4, decision in their first meeting in the Sunrise Challenger eight years ago.

Since then, it was dark days when Simon ran into Gasquet.

The 25th-ranked Gasquet had won 18 of 21 career sets against his compatriot.

In business as usual mode, Gasquet dotted the center stripe with an ace for a 2-0 tiebreak lead.

Changing direction down the line, Simon rallied winning five of the next six points.

Attacking behind a deep approach, Simon knocked off a forehand volley for two set points.

When Gasquet flailed a wild forehand wide, Simon had his first set opening set against his countryman since 2011.