www.centrebet.com.au – Gilles Simon
November 3, 2008 11:00 am Tenniscentrebet - To be recognized as your country’s best tennis player in a land with form and history in the sport is one thing – and Gilles Simon will be delighted to take a bow before a home crowd in Paris this week as the season draws to a close.
But the French number one singles player is surely due a little recognition from beyond the borders of ‘La Grande Nation’ after vaulting into the world top ten.
Memories can be short in sport – though where the women are concerned Amelie Mauresmo’s Australian Open and Wimbledon double is hardly sepia-tinged having been achieved in 2006.
Among the men, however, French fans hardly need reminding that Yannick Noah’s 1983 Roland Garros triumph gave his compatriots their only singles Grand Slam title in the Open Era.
That’s a long way behind the 7100 of top-ranked Rafael Nadal but a fine haul for a new name keen to stay ahead amid healthy domestic competition from Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Richard Gasquet (absent this week through injury) and Monfils, who are 14th, 15th and 16th in the standings.
His chief rivals are Spaniard David Ferrer, American James Blake and up-and-coming Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka.
With China swimming into focus Simon says he is aware he must watch out he doesn’t ‘fall into the trap of wanting to play too well’ against fans who will demand more of the same after watching him dump Nadal in his own backyard of Madrid.
‘I’ll try not to lose sight of what I’m aiming at’, he insisted