Simon on song

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:27

The French world number eight needed less than an hour and a quarter to see off Italy’s Fabio Fognini 6-0 7-5, breaking his opponent six times in the process.

Simon will take on seventh seed Albert Montanes for a place in the semi-finals after the Spaniard’s similarly comfortable 6-2 6-2 defeat of Simon Greul.

America’s James Blake made his first quarter-final on clay for a year with a 7-6 (8/6) 6-2 win over France’s Marc Gicquel, and he will now face Florent Serra after he saw off Juan Monaco 6-3 1-6 6-3.

The final four were decided in the women’s draw where second seed Maria Kirilenko and third seed Sorana Cirstea both crashed in three sets – respectively at the hands of Ekaterina Makarova and Yanina Wickmayer.

Makarova, herself seeded sixth, will face Anna-Lena Groenefeld after the German benefited from the retirement of her countrywoman Sabine Lisicki at the start of the second set.

Belgium’s Wickmayer takes on Israel’s Shahar Peer, a 6-2 0-6 6-3 victor against Jarmila Groth.

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