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Sky’s The Limit For Troicki And Kyrgios

Sky’s The Limit For Troicki And Kyrgios

  • Posted: Sep 28, 2015

Ahead of the Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, No. 5 seed Viktor Troicki and No. 7 seed Nick Kyrgios visited Kuala Lumpur’s Skyrides Festivals Park, where a helium balloon theme park is one of the various attractions. The ATP World Tour players also had the opportunity to take a boat ride on the scenic Putrajaya Lake.

“I have nice memories from 2011 when I played in the semi-finals here,” said the Serb, who is making his second appearance at the tournament. “I am happy to be back and I hope to play well here. I am looking forward to the Asian swing, people are really friendly and look after us. It is a strong tournament and everyone likes to play here in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is always fun when you have the opportunity to experience something different in other countries,” added Troicki, who is looking for his second final appearance in an Asian tournament (Bangkok 2009) “We took a little boat ride and it was nice.”

Kyrgios, who lost in the opening round of last year’s event, is aiming to score his first match win in his mother’s native country against Santiago Giraldo on Monday evening. Kyrgios beat Giraldo 7-6(3), 7-5 in Toronto in 2014.

“It is always a time of the year I enjoy to play,” said Kyrgios, who reached his first ATP World Tour final in Estoril earlier this year (l. to Gasquet). “My match against Giraldo is going to be tough. I have played him once and it was close. I am looking forward to getting back out on the court. I feel it would be real special if I had some good results here. It is a bit of pressure when I am playing here as well.”

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Tsonga Tops Simon For Third Metz Title

Tsonga Tops Simon For Third Metz Title

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2015

History would not repeat itself on Sunday at the Moselle Open, as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Gilles Simon for his 12th ATP World Tour title and third in Metz.

In a rematch of the 2013 final, which Simon won in straight sets, Tsonga prevailed 7-6(5), 1-6, 6-2. Appearing in the Metz title match for the fourth time in five years, the 30 year old added to crowns earned in 2011 (d. Ljubicic) and 2012 (d. Seppi), boosting his bid to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in scoring 250 Emirates ATP Rankings points. Tsonga keeps pace with Simon and Milos Raonic, who also won on Sunday in St. Petersburg, remaining in the 15th spot in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

“I’m really happy to win again here in Metz,” said Tsonga. “I like the welcome I get here and to win this year is great. It’s my first of the year and I hope it will continue. It’s a good achievement for me.

“Gilles is very difficult to play against. You need energy with each ball you play against him. He’s a good defender and is always ready to play passing shots. When I play against him it’s always tough.” 

Tsonga was forced to dig in his heels in the early stages, surviving three straight deuce games on serve to open proceedings. Simon’s consistency rattled his countryman and Tsonga’s unforced error count began to rise. But the former World No. 5 was clutch in the big moments, denying a total six break points with four service winners, including three aces. The first set would come down to a tie-break and Tsonga would rally once again, storming back from 5-2 down to reel off five straight points and take the opener in 65 minutes.

Tsonga saved Simon’s seventh break opportunity with another ace in the second game of the second set, but Simon would capitalise on No. 8, securing the first break of the match with a rifled backhand pass. Tsonga was poised to break back immediately with a 0/40 lead in the next game, but the steady Simon would hold and force a third set.

In the decider, Tsonga rediscovered his first set form and two let cord forehands that dribbled over would aide him in breaking for 3-1 and eventually sealed Simon’s fate. He converted on his second match point four games later to prevail after two hours and 16 minutes.

Tsonga improved to 7-3 in the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry and pulled level with Simon and Richard Gasquet for second on the list of French titlists in the Open Era. The trio trails only Yannick Noah (23). In addition, Tsonga extended the run of home grown dominance in Metz, becoming the sixth Frenchman to triumph in the past seven years.

Simon, who was bidding for his third Metz crown (2010, ‘13), falls to 12-6 in ATP World Tour finals. He takes home €42,100 and 150 Emirates ATP Rankings points.

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Raonic Reigns In St. Petersburg

Raonic Reigns In St. Petersburg

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2015

It has been a turbulent season for Milos Raonic, but with a cry of triumph, the Canadian ended a 14-month title drought on Sunday in St. Petersburg as he defeated Joao Sousa 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his seventh ATP World Tour title.

“It’s such a great feeling to come to St. Petersburg and to be able to win this event,” said Raonic. “It was a great experience overall with the event, the city and the people. This tournament is only going to get better. Word is going to spread about how much the players enjoyed it.”

Raonic still has an outside chance of clinching one of the four remaining berths at the year-end Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. Winning the St. Petersburg Open title brings the Canadian an additional 250 points in the Emirates ATP Race To London, which will see him pass Marin Cilic into 12th position.

“It would be special [to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals again], especially with the health issues I’ve had,” said Raonic. “It is something that will require a lot of winning the rest of this year, but I believe I can do it.”

The 24-year-old Raonic made his debut at the Final Showdown in London last year, but has a lot of ground to make up if he is to return to The O2 from 15-22 November. The Toronto native’s season was derailed in May when he was forced to miss Roland Garros to undergo surgery on his right foot. It was a slow return to form and fitness for the right-hander, who would lose in the third round at both Wimbledon (l. to Kyrgios) and the US Open (l. to Lopez).

Victory over Sousa brings Raonic his first ATP World Tour title since he defeated countryman Vasek Pospisil in the Citi Open final in Washington in early August 2014. The right-hander finished runner-up to Roger Federer in the Brisbane final at the start of the 2015 season.

Raonic’s resolve was tested against the in-form Sousa, who became the only man this week to break the Canadian’s famed serve to clinch the second set. Having lost the first set to a service break in the fourth game, Sousa fended off four break points in the early stages of the second set before immediately breaking Raonic for a 3-1 lead and holding on to level the match.

The second-seeded Raonic benefitted from a Sousa double fault to grab a break in the second game of the deciding set before saving four break points in a crucial third game. Raonic would go on to clinch victory in two hours and seven minutes, having struck 22 aces and saved nine of 10 break points.

“I think I played my best,” said Sousa. “Of course I feel sad that I couldn’t have the title here. I was really confident that I could beat him today, but he played and served very well in the important moments. I just have to congratulate him for the match.” 

Seventh seed Sousa lost in an ATP World Tour final for the third time this season, having finished runner-up to Thomaz Bellucci in Geneva and Dominic Thiem in Umag. The 26 year old from Portugal dropped to a 1-18 record against Top 10 players. His lone win was over No. 4 David Ferrer in the 2013 Kuala Lumpur quarter-finals en route to his maiden ATP World Tour title (d. Benneteau).

“This year has been a tough one,” said Sousa. “It has been my best year, but a tough one as I lost three finals. It’s really, really tough to accept it. But I think I can improve. I’m going to work for it and hopefully I can win the next one.”

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Kubot/Roger-Vasselin Claim Metz Title

Kubot/Roger-Vasselin Claim Metz Title

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2015

Lukasz Kubot and Edouard Roger-Vasselin rallied from a set down to capture the Moselle Open title on Sunday.

The Polish-French pair earned a 2-6, 6-3, 10-7 victory over US Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in one hour and 16 minutes, halting the French duo’s win streak at nine. Competing in their first tournament together, the second seeds stormed back from an early 4-1 deficit in the Match Tie-break. They later trailed 7-5 before reeling off five straight points for the victory.

“Thank you to Edouard for signing up with me at the last minute,” said Kubot. “It was a great final. The atmosphere and the organisation of the tournament was perfect. The most important thing was that we tried our best and while it was our first time together, I hope it’s not the last. I’m looking forward to coming back next year and playing with Edouard again.”

Both players have enjoyed considerable success with different partners throughout the 2015 season. For Kubot, it was the Pole’s 12th ATP World Tour crown and third of the year, with three different partners on three different surfaces. He previously hoisted the ‘s-Hertogenbosch trophy with Ivo Karlovic and prevailed on the clay of Bastad with Jeremy Chardy. Roger-Vasselin won his 11th ATP World Tour crown, capturing his third title of the year with different partners as well. He also won in Bogota with Radek Stepanek and at the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati with Daniel Nestor. They split €24,280 in prize money and 250 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points.

Herbert and Mahut, meanwhile, dropped their first match since being crowned US Open champions. Herbert fell to 3-3 in tour-level doubles finals, while Mahut dropped to 10-10. Currently at No. 5 in the Emirates ATP Doubles Race To London, they bring home €12,760 and 150 points.

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Huey/Kontinen Triumph In St. Petersburg

Huey/Kontinen Triumph In St. Petersburg

  • Posted: Sep 27, 2015

Top seeds Treat Huey and Henri Kontinen capped a dream debut together on Sunday as they defeated second seeds Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya 7-5, 6-3 in the St. Petersburg Open final.

The Filipino/Finn duo were clutch on the big points, saving the 10 break points they faced while breaking their opponents twice for victory in 88 minutes.

“We played well,” said Huey. “It was our first time together, so we had some fun and we played pretty well together. We enjoyed playing together and that’s always a good thing. Coming away with the title is always a lot of fun.”

“We’re going to play the next couple of weeks, so this was perfect for us to get such a good start,” said Kontinen. “It’s never easy with a new partner, but from the first match I felt like we matched up well on the court.”

The 30-year-old Huey captured his fifth ATP World Tour title and second of the season, adding to victory in Estoril with Scott Lipsky. Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Kontinen lifted his fourth trophy of the season, having previously triumphed with Marin Draganja in Barcelona, Marseille and Zagreb. He has a 5-3 finals record.

After winning three ATP Challenger Tour titles, the Austrian duo of Knowle and Peya were looking to capture their first ATP World Tour crown together. World No. 51 Knowle dropped to an 18-24 finals record, while Peya, who is challenging for a spot at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals with Bruno Soares, fell to a 13-20 mark.

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Asian Swing Begins

Asian Swing Begins

  • Posted: Sep 26, 2015

Asian Circuit Kicks Off – The three week, five-tournament Asian circuit on the ATP World Tour, begins with the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur and Shenzhen Open. This is the second year in a row that China will host tournaments across all three ATP World Tour tournament categories (250, 500, Masters 1000). The swing continues with a pair of 500 events, the China Open in Beijing and Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo, before culminating with the Shanghai Rolex Masters on Oct. 11.

Emirates ATP Race to London – There are two players competing this week in contention for the four remaining spots to the season-ending Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London, Nov. 15-22. No. 5 Tomas Berdych is the top seed in Shenzhen and No. 8 David Ferrer is the top seed in Kuala Lumpur. Here is a look at the Race standings:

 

Position

Singles Player

Points

1

Novak Djokovic (Qualified)

12,785

2

Andy Murray (Qualified)

7,370

3

Roger Federer (Qualified)

6,725

4

Stan Wawrinka (Qualified)

5,500

5

Tomas Berdych-Shenzhen

3,850

6

Kei Nishikori

3,765

7

Rafael Nadal

3,715

8

David Ferrer-Kuala Lumpur

3,005

9

Richard Gasquet

2,355

10

Kevin Anderson

2,205

Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur)  –The Malaysian Open, Kuala Lumpur, a seventh-year tournament on the ATP World Tour, features an outstanding field led by top seed David Ferrer, who is No. 8 in the Emirates ATP Race to London. Other seeds with first-round byes are: No. 2 Feliciano Lopez, No. 3/wild card Ivo Karlovic, No. 4 Grigor Dimitrov. The other remaining seeds are: No. 5 Viktor Troicki, No. 6 Jeremy Chardy, No. 7 Nick Kyrgios and No. 8 Vasek Pospisil. The lone former winner in the draw is unseeded Portuguese native Joao Sousa (2013).

Kyrgios Homecoming – Aussie Nick Kyrgios, whose mother, Norlaila, is from Malaysia, returns to the tournament for the second straight year (l. to Matosevic in 1R). The 20-year-old Aussie comes in as the No. 7 seed with an 18-15 match record on the season after reaching a career-high ranking of No. 25 in June. He advanced to his first ATP World Tour final in Estoril in May (l. to Gasquet).

Ferrer Top Seed – This is the second time this season that Ferrer is the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament. In June in Nottingham, he lost in his opening round match (l. to Baghdatis) as the top seed. The 33-year-old Spaniard is putting together another outstanding Top 10 campaign, winning three titles (Doha, Rio de Janeiro, Acapulco). He has compiled a 40-10 match record (19-5 on clay, 21-4 on hard) and has reached the quarter-finals or better in nine of 13 tournaments. He missed the North American summer hard court circuit with a right elbow injury before returning at the US Open where he reached the third round (l. to Chardy). Last weekend, he won both Davis Cup matches in Denmark. Ferrer has a 6-4 career record in Kuala Lumpur, reaching the semi-finals in 2010 and ’12, and the quarter-finals in his last appearance two years ago (l. to eventual champ Sousa).

Ivo Nears Aces Record – Ivo Karlovic, who is making his tournament debut in Kuala Lumpur, is closing in on the all-time ATP World Tour aces record (since 1991), currently held by countryman Goran Ivanisevic, who hit 10,237 aces in his career. Karlovic comes into Kuala Lumpur trailing by 66 with 10,171. These figures don’t include Davis Cup matches. Karlovic leads the ATP World Tour this season with 1,176 aces, the fourth year he’s surpassed 1,000 in a campaign. The 36-year-old Croat enters No. 18 in the Emirates ATP Rankings and he is the oldest in the Top 20 since 37-year-old Jimmy Connors was No. 20 during the week of Feb. 19, 1990. Karlovic, who went from No. 21 to No. 18 after the US Open on Sept. 14, last ranked in the Top 20 the week of Oct. 20, 2008.

Grigor Working With Davin – Grigor Dimitrov is working this week with former Juan Martin del Potro coach Franco Davin, who helped the Argentine to a career-high ranking No. 4 in January 2010 and the US Open title in 2009, on a trial basis. Dimitrov parted ways with Aussie Roger Rasheed after Wimbledon and traveled this summer with Johan Ortegren on a trial basis. Dimitrov is ranked No. 19 with a 27-17 match record and his best results are semi-finals in Brisbane and Istanbul. Last year he won three ATP World Tour titles and reached a career-high No. 8 in August before finishing No. 11.

Teenage Match Wins Leaders – Borna Coric (22) and Alexander Zverev (13) have the most match wins among teenagers on the ATP World Tour this year.

Jarkko Begins Final Asian Swing – Veteran Finnish native Jarkko Nieminen is retiring at next month’s Stockholm Open. Nieminen has been a fixture in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings for the last 14 years. He’s reached 13 ATP World Tour finals (2-11), with his lone Asian final in Bangkok in 2010 (l. to Garcia-Lopez).

Shenzhen Open (Shenzhen)  –The second edition of the Shenzhen Open is led by top seed and World No. 5 Tomas Berdych, who looks to qualify for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the sixth consecutive year. Other seeds are: No. 2 Marin Cilic, No. 3 Tommy Robredo, No. 4 Guillermo Garcia-Lopez,  No. 5 Adrian Mannarino, No. 6 Jiri Vesely, No. 7 Aljaz Bedene and No. 8 Victor Estrella Burgos. Last year Andy Murray won the inaugural title, saving five match points  over Robredo 57 76(9) 61 in the final. Garcia-Lopez (2), Vesely and Estrella Burgos have all won at least one ATP World Tour title this season. 

Berdych Top Seed –  Berdych comes in as the top seed in an ATP World Tour tournament for the second week in a row. Last week in St. Petersburg, Berdych after an opening round bye, lost to Italian Simone Bolelli 76(5) 64. The recently turned 30-year-old Czech Republic native has a 45-16 match record on the season and he’s reached three finals (Doha, Rotterdam, ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo). He has won at least two matches at 14 of his 16 tournaments with only two opening round losses (Montreal, St. Petersburg). Berdych is on pace to post the best winning percentage and year-end ranking of his career:

Year

W-L

Ranking*

Titles

2015

45-16 (.738)

5

0

2014

55-22 (.714)

7

2

2013

54-25 (.684)

7

0

2012

61-23 (.726)

6

2

2011

53-23 (.697)

7

1

2010

45-26 (.634)

6

0

* Year-end rankings used for 2010-2014

Cilic Looks to Finish Strong  –  Last year’s US Open champion Marin Cilic made a solid attempt to defend his title, falling in the semi-finals to eventual champion Novak Djokovic. The 27-year-old Croat enters with a 23-14 match record on the season and No. 14 ranking. He was sidelined until early March with a right shoulder injury and after a 4-6 start, he has compiled a 19-8 match record from the beginning of Roland Garros. His best results are semi-finals in Stuttgart, Washington and the US Open along with quarter-finals for second year in a row at Wimbledon. 

Chung on the Rise – Hyeon Chung is one of four teenagers in the Top 100 Emirates ATP Rankings. The 19-year-old Korean won his fourth title of the season at the Kaohsiung City Challenger in Taiwan (d. Bhambri). Chung has a 34-7 match record and has climbed 100 spots to No. 73 in the Emirates ATP Rankings (from No. 173 last year). He will be making his tournament debut.

Local Wild Cards — The main draw wild cards are the top three Chinese players in the Emirates ATP Rankings: No. 215 Ze Zhang, No. 223 Di Wu and No. 266 Yan Bai, who won his first ATP World Tour main draw match at the Shanghai Rolex Masters in 2010. Zhang was a quarter-finalist in ’12 Beijing. Wu is 0-9 in ATP play.

Birthdays

28 September – Marin Cilic (27)

In Case You Missed It

At the Moselle Open, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga defeated Gilles Simon for his 12th ATP World Tour title and third in Metz. Read 

Lukasz Kubot and Edouard Roger-Vasselin rallied from a set down to capture the Moselle Open doubles title. Read 

Milos Raonic ended a 14-month title drought on Sunday in St. Petersburg as he defeated Joao Sousa 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to capture his seventh ATP World Tour title. Read 

Top seeds Treat Huey and Henri Kontinen capped a dream debut together on Sunday in the St. Petersburg Open final. Read 

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Top Seeds Into Doubles Final

Top Seeds Into Doubles Final

  • Posted: Sep 26, 2015

Austrians Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya downed Russian wild cards Andrey Rublev and Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to move into the final of the St. Petersburg Open. The second seeds converted on all four break opportunities and only dropped serve once in the 63-minute victory.

On Sunday, Knowle/Peya will attempt to win their first team title against top seeds Treat Huey and Henri Kontinen, who defeated Aliaksandr Bury and Denis Istomin 6-3, 7-5 in 69 minutes.

French Contingent Stars In Metz

Top seeds Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut edged No. 4 seeds Eric Butorac and Scott Lipsky 6-4, 4-6, 10-3 to move into the Metz final on Saturday. The US Open champions were broken in the final game of the second set, but raced to an 8-0 lead in the Match Tie-break and booked a spot in the final after 76 minutes.

On Sunday, the Frenchmen will face compatriot Edouard Roger-Vasselin, who teamed up with Poland’s Lukasz Kubot to defeat Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram 7-5, 7-6(5) in 95 minutes. The second seeds put 82 per cent of first serves in play and saved two of three break points faced against the third seeds.

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Tsonga Sets Simon Final Rematch

Tsonga Sets Simon Final Rematch

  • Posted: Sep 26, 2015

For the second time in three years, home hopes Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will square off in the Moselle Open final.

Second seed Simon will seek a third Metz crown after holding off Martin Klizan 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday. The Frenchman converted on four of six break chances during the one hour and 37 minute affair, but came under heavy pressure in both sets. Klizan earned a break lead at 4-2 in the first and again for 3-0 in the second, but Simon was too strong, breaking back twice and eventually taking his first match point.

“It’s great to be in the final in Metz,” said Simon. “I have a lot of memories. It’s one of my most successful tournaments. Every time I won it, I had a child in the month before. My wife and my son being here in 2013 and lifting the trophy in front of them was a nice memory.”

Simon has not relinquished a set all week in defeating Edouard Roger-Vasselin, Gilles Muller and Klizan, and is poised to renew his rivalry against countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Sunday. The Nice native notched a straight sets victory in the Moselle Open final in 2013, adding to his title run in 2010 (d. M Zverev). The World No. 10 will be looking to build on a 12-5 record in ATP World Tour finals.

Tsonga, meanwhile, fired 13 aces en route to a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber. The Frenchman needed just 69 minutes to prevail, rifling 34 total winners to Kohlschreiber’s eight. Tsonga carries a 17-3 win-loss record in Metz into his fourth final in five years. The champion in 2011 (d. Ljubicic) and 2012 (d. Seppi), he is hoping to add a 12th ATP World Tour title in his 21st final.

“I’m very happy to be in the final,” said Tsonga. “I already played in three finals here and won two. In French, we always say ‘never two without three’ so I hope I will do it.” 

Both players are also seeking to improve their standing in the Emirates ATP Race To London, with Simon currently sitting in 14th position with 1,815 points entering the week and Tsonga one spot behind with 1,650 points. Six weeks remain in the quest to punch tickets to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals.

Tsonga owns a 6-3 edge in the FedEx ATP Head2Head series against Simon, having most recently prevailed at the 2014 Australian Open. Victory would move him into a tie for second place among Frenchmen on the Open Era titles list, joining Simon and Richard Gasquet. Only Yannick Noah owns more trophies (23).

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Raonic To Face Sousa In St. Petersburg Final

Raonic To Face Sousa In St. Petersburg Final

  • Posted: Sep 26, 2015

Second seed Milos Raonic will face seventh seed Joao Sousa in the St. Petersburg Open final after defeating Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-6(2) in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Raonic is chasing his seventh ATP World Tour trophy and takes a 2-0 FedEx ATP Head2Head lead over Sousa into Sunday’s title match, beating the Portuguese most recently in Monte-Carlo earlier this year.

In his second meeting with Bautista Agut, Raonic fired 19 aces and broke serve twice as he claimed victory in 88 minutes.

The Canadian will contest his first ATP World Tour final since finishing runner-up to Roger Federer in Brisbane at the start of the year. He has a 6-8 record in ATP World Tour finals.

The 24-year-old Raonic is still in with an outside chance of qualifying for the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, having started the week 1,175 points behind eighth-placed David Ferrer in the Emirates ATP Race To London.

Seventh seed Sousa found the winning formula against Dominic Thiem as he beat the Austrian for the first time in four attempts to reach the final with a 6-4, 7-6(5) victory.

Sousa, who most recently lost to Thiem in the Umag final in July, made a fast start to the semi-final, racing into a 4-0 lead. Thiem recouped one of the breaks and had the chance to level as Sousa served for the first set at 5-4, but the Portuguese held on to take the opener.

Thiem earned a 4-2 lead in the second set as he nailed a backhand drive down the line, but his break advantage was immediately cancelled out as Sousa hit back. The 26-year-old Sousa then prevailed in the subsequent tie-break after one hour and 39 minutes.

“It’s good to be in another final,” said Sousa. “That’s what we work for, and for victories like this against a good player. I’ve played him three times before and lost all of them. So this was a good win for me and I’m really happy to be in another final.

“It definitely was a good match mentally and I’m really happy with that. I changed my tactics a bit against him. We learned a lot from my other matches against him. Today it was good.”

Sousa will contest his third ATP World Tour final of the year. In addition to finishing runner-up to Thiem in Umag, Sousa was also a finalist in Geneva, losing to Thomaz Bellucci. His lone ATP World Tour title came two years ago in Kuala Lumpur (d. Benneteau).

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Simon Sets Klizan Metz SF Clash

Simon Sets Klizan Metz SF Clash

  • Posted: Sep 25, 2015

Second seed and two-time former champion Gilles Simon reached the Moselle Open semi-finals on Friday in Metz as he defeated Gilles Muller 6-4, 6-4.

The Frenchman, who has an 11-4 tournament record in Metz, withstood 12 aces to break Muller twice in the 88-minute match. Simon is looking for a Metz hat-trick, having lifted the trophy in 2010 (d. M. Zverev) and 2013 (d. Tsonga).

“It was a good match especially against a player like Gilles Muller,” said Simon. “I feel good, I’m moving well and I’m happy with the way I’m playing from the baseline.”

The 30-year-old Simon has a 36-19 record in 2015 and is through to his fourth ATP World Tour semi-final. The right-hander captured his 12th ATP World Tour crown earlier this year on home soil in Marseille (d. Monfils).

Sixth seed Martin Klizan reached his third ATP World Tour semi-final of the season as he rallied from a set down to beat fourth seed Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4). The Slovakian captured his third ATP World Tour title earlier in the season on clay in Casablanca (d. Gimeno-Traver) and will play for a place in his fourth final when he faces Simon on Saturday.

Fifth seed Philipp Kohlschreiber was granted a semi-final berth when top seed Stan Wawrinka was forced to withdraw from the tournament. The Swiss had twisted his right ankle at the end of the first set of his second-round contest with Dustin Brown on Thursday evening.

“Unfortunately, I have to pull out because yesterday I twisted my ankle at 5-4 in the first set,” said Wawrinka. “It was painful in the match, but still OK with tape on it. But after a lot of treatment last night and some tests this morning, it’s dangerous for me to play because the pain is still there. So I will have to see a doctor to see if I will be OK in the next few weeks.”

Kohlschreiber is looking to reach the final of this ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard court tournament for the second time after finishing runner-up to Gael Monfils in the 2009 title match. He will face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semi-finals.

Tsonga survived fellow Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 6-7(6), 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 25 minutes. The third seed held a set point in the first set tie-break, but saw his opponent win three points in a row from 5/6. The World No. 17 righted the ship in the first game of the second set, breaking Mahut for the first time of the match. Tsonga, who struck 12 aces to Mahut’s four, clinched the win by converting on his 14th break point (4-for-14) at 6-5 in the deciding set.

“It was a good fight,” said Tsonga. “It’s always good to have a match like this against a good friend. I took a lot of pleasure from this match. I like this kind of atmosphere.”

Roger-Vasselin And Kubot Into Doubles Semi-finals

Second seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Lukasz Kubot prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 10-5 against Pablo Carreno-Busta and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez to advance to the semi-finals. They will face third seeds Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram.

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