Simon Outlasts Countryman Mathieu In Estoril

Gilles Simon overcame a challenge from fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu to prevail 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 at the Millennium Estoril Open on Thursday. The top seed, who trailed the pair’s FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry 1-3 heading into the match, landed fewer than half of his first serves on the day, but won 61 per cent of second serve points to advance.

In his third ATP World Tour quarter-final of the season (Miami and Marrakech), Simon will take on Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, who beat Japan’s Taro Daniel 6-4, 7-5. It will be the pair’s first tour-level meeting.

“I needed to be focused all the time against Taro,” Carreno Busta said. “I almost lost the second set today. He practices in Valencia so he’s like a Spanish player. I know him well and he is tough.”

Home favourite Joao Sousa, seeded fourth, was eliminated by Nicolas Almagro 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. The Spaniard fired 13 aces and broke serve four times to secure the win in one hour and 42 minutes. The 30 year old is into his second quarter-final of 2016, having made the final in Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem).

Top Seeds Beat Local Team In Doubles

Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski of Poland eliminated Portuguese Gastao Elias and Joao Sousa from doubles contention with a 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 quarter-final win. The top seeds landed 77 per cent of first serves and broke Elias/Sousa five times in the 75-minute encounter.

#NextGen player Borna Coric teamed up with countryman Franko Skugor to down Jonathan Erlich and Colin Fleming 6-4, 6-4. The Croats saved all three break points faced and will face Kubot/Matkowski in the semi-finals.