By Tennis Now | Friday, April 12, 2019
Fourth-seeded Gilles Simon, the 2008 Marrakech champion, will face reigning champion Pablo Andujar for a spot in Sunday's final.
Marrakech is a long way from Marseille, but the Grand Prix Hassan II final four features a decidedly French flavor.
Eleven years after lifting the title, Gilles Simon will face reigning Marrakech champion Pablo Andujar in tomorrow's semifinal clash of champions.
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Simon showed steely spine saving 12 of 15 break points in a 6-4, 7-5, victory over Taro Daniel.
That victory sent the fourth-seeded Simon into a semifinal meeting against Andujar, who returned to the final four without striking a shot. The three-time champion advanced as Czech left-hander Jiri Vesely withdrew from today's quarterfinals suffering a right toe injury.
The 70th-ranked Andujar has won two of three meetings with Simon, including both of their clay-court encounters. This will be their first meeting in nearly five years.
The resurgent Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will face shotmaker Benoit Paire in Saturday's all-French semifinal.
Paire punished Spaniard Jaume Munar, 6-1, 6-3, to power into his second Marrakech semifinal in the last three years.
It is Paire's first Tour-level semifinal since Sydney in January of 2018.
The 69th-ranked Paire won 22 of 26 first-serve points in a 59-minute sweep the day after Munar's emotional three-set upset of top-seeded Alexander Zverev.
Tsonga spanked Italian qualifier Lorenzo Sonego, 6-3, 6-2, rolling into his third semifinal of the season.
A dominant serve was the big difference: Tsonga won 26 of 19 first-serve points and 10 of 14 second-serve points and did not face a break point in a 66-minute victory.