Three Canadians are in the quarter-finals, a first on the circuit since 1990. Gilles Simon is the last Frenchman standing.
He is ready for the big 8. For the 8th time, the indefatigable Gilles Simon, the last Frenchman in the running, is playing in the quarter-finals of the Open 13 Provence. At 35 years old, he is taking it step by step, without getting too carried away. " I'm just trying to playhe explained after his qualification. It's a tournament I like. To be in the quarters again here just means that I've been more consistent here than elsewhere. "
To get a glimpse of the semis, Gilles Simon now has to get past No. 1 seed Daniil Medvedev. The two players, despite the 50-odd places that separate them in the rankings, know full well that it will not be easy for either of them. " With Gilles, we have similarities in the way we playThe Russian acknowledged. So we find it hard to play against each other. I don't really like playing against him, I think it's the same for him! I'll see if I can do something. In any case, it's going to be a good match. "Gilles Simon got the better of Medvedev in his two matches, both of which were long and close.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is also in the quarterfinals, where he will face Canadian Vasek Pospisil. Regardless of his opponent this week in Marseille, Stefanos Tsitsipas has only one thing on his mind: to stay in the race and try to win a second consecutive title on Sunday. Pospisil, ranked 98th in the world, is an outsider, despite his final in Montpellier a fortnight ago.
The Gerasimov surprise
Kazakh Alexander Bublik will face Denis Shapovalov, the second Canadian to qualify. The latter had never won a match in Marseille before this edition. He has just beaten Marin Cilic, the former world number 3 who had reached two semi-finals here. " I played a very solid game against a great championShapovalov was delighted after his victory. I played better in the important points and that made the difference. I hope to make further progress. "
Shapovalov is now facing Alexander Bublik. Here too, he will not have to rely on the 40 places that separate them in the rankings. Medvedev warns him: "I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get through the first round. Bublik says he doesn't like tennis, that he plays for money but I'm not so surehe commented. When we are on the same tournaments, he is always training! "
The Canadians are now three in the quarter-finals in Marseille this year as Felix Auger-Aliassime eliminated Pierre-Hugues Herbert after a crazy round of 16. Last week's finalist in Rotterdam, "F2A" will now have to go the distance against the surprising Egor Gerasimov, ranked 72nd in the world and who defeated David Goffin.
