Brussels (AFP)
Gilles Simon improved the French record on Tuesday at the tournament in Antwerp, qualifying for the second round, stopping the way and in two sets the Belgian Steve Darcis, after the successive eliminations of his compatriots Grégoire Barrère and Richard Gasquet.
In front of the one who played in Antwerp his last tournament on Belgian soil, the N.47 world was expeditious: 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour.
Gilles Simon won his ticket for a Franco-French duel in the second round, against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, qualified on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Italy's Lorenzo Sonego.
Earlier in the day, Grégoire Barrère and Richard Gasquet had to surrender their weapons in straight sets against Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff (N.41), 6-2, 6-1, and in three sets against South -Korean Soonwoo Kwon (N.88), 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Tuesday night, Ugo Humbert (N.70) has yet to compete against the Slovak Jozef Kovalik, 176th ATP.
The main candidates for the final victory and the Masters, like Gael Monfils and the Belgian David Goffin, will start their tournament on Thursday.
© 2019 AFP