Former Eastbourne champion Andreas Seppi is two wins away from another grass-court title. Up next for Seppi on Friday is No. 2 seed Gilles Simon.
Gilles Simon and Andreas Seppi will be going head-to-head for the fourth time in their careers and for the first time in five years when they clash in the semifinals of the Aegon International on Friday. Simon has won all three of their previous encounters, but they have never faced each other on grass. Their most recent meeting came at the 2008 indoor hard-court event in Lyon, where Simon treated the French crowd to a 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4 victory.
Simon’s week in Eastbourne has not been unlike his year–up and down. The world No. 17 suffered an ankle injury during practice prior to his campaign, but he recovered to beat wild card Kyle Edmund in a pair of tiebreakers before taking out Bernard Tomic 7-6(8), 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Simon is 28-15 for the season, which includes some disastrous results on clay but also a quarterfinal performance in Miami and a fourth-round appearance at the French Open.
Seppi has to feeling right at home in Eastbourne, where he won the title in 2011 and finished runner-up to Andy Roddick in 2012. The 26th-ranked Italian battled back from a set down in each of his first two rounds–against Guillaume Rufin and Ryan Harrison–then got past Radek Stepanek in straight sets on Thursday. Seppi is still a modest 18-15 for the year.
These two competitors feature extremely similar playing styles, so it is not surprising that their previous collisions were hotly-contested (even though Simon won all three). The first went to a pair of tiebreakers and each of the next two went to three sets. Both men like to counter-punch and use opponents’ pace to generate their own. On a surface other than grass, it would be tough for Simon and Seppi to end points against each other.
Based on a slight edge in current form, confidence, and serve, Simon should make it four for four against Seppi. But the seventh seed will almost certainly keep it close at what is becoming one of his favorite tournaments.
Pick: Simon in 3
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