Simon keeps alive Finals hopes with Lyon win
LYON, France (Reuters) - Gilles Simon kept alive his hopes of qualifying for the World Tour Finals by beating Italian Simone Bolelli 7-6 7-6 to reach the Lyon Grand Prix second round on Wednesday.
Bolelli canceled out the Frenchman's break but the world number 12, a semi-finalist at last year's Masters Cup, clinched the tiebreak 7-5.
The second-seeded Frenchman still has an outside chance of clinching one of the two remaining spots for next month's season-ending tournament in London.
The second set went with serve before Simon prevailed 7-5 in the tiebreak to set up a clash with compatriot David Guez for a place in the last eight.
"I have always been struggling here in Lyon until last year when I reached the semi-finals," Simon told reporters.
"I am now feeling better and better and I think I could do pretty well until the end of the season."
French wildcard Sebastien Grosjean was knocked out 4-6 7-6 7-6 in the first round by German Nicolas Kiefer.
France's Julien Benneteau was the first player to book his place in the quarter-finals with a 7-5 6-2 second-round victory over South African Kevin Anderson.
"It was not easy because he serves very well but I changed my position on the court in the return games at 5-5 and it did help," the fifth-seeded Benneteau told reporters.
"Then I was feeling I was the best from the baseline."
Another Frenchman, Florent Serra, also reached the last eight with a 7-5 6-3 win over Spain's Albert Montanes.
(Writing by Julien Pretot in Paris; Editing by Ed Osmond)
