Simon bows on the wire against Federer – Sports.fr

Gilles Simon was not unworthy to Roger Federer in Sunday’s final of the Shanghai Masters 1000. But the French, who had set points in each round (7-6, 7-6) missed a great chance to win his first major title.

The pill is hard to swallow for Gilles Simon who, given his week, did not deserve such an outcome in Shanghai. The French, who celebrates his 30th birthday at the end of the year, lost for the second time in his career a final of a Masters 1000 tournament stamped a final against Federer that he might as well have won . But not having been able to realize its opportunities, including three set points, one in the first and two in the second, Simon relented after two tie-break (7-6, 7-6 .)

The Habs, whose daily work on the release was successful on this Asian tour, is not missed his appointment. Far from it. He likes to play against Federer, and it’s mutual. Both players, for their seventh clash on the big circuit (the Swiss led 4-2 before the final, ed), offered a pretty sight. Each in its sector, Federer taking the game to their account, Simon excelling in his game against. And if the French had better start, leading 2-0 of entry, it is the new dolphin Novak Djokovic, he estourbi Eve, who finished better, showing higher in key moments.

This was the case when Simon served for the first set at 5-4, also 5 to 6 percentage points in its favor in the first tiebreak – time chosen by Federer to make a service winner – or even at 6-5 and 15/40 on service of Switzerland in the second set. Hotspots that Federer, with his experience of those great moments, has better managed to finally clinch his 23rd Masters 1000, the second of the season after he got in Cincinnati two months ago.

The Swiss also took a little revenge on the French, who had surrendered to face Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the final of the Masters 1000 Toronto in August. Which in the current context, to six weeks of the final of the Davis Cup, is important. Especially since Simon, who always sent a message to his coach this week, beat Stan Wawrinka few days earlier.