Simon injury takes the shine off as Murray advances in Monaco
WORLD No4 Andy Murray has moved into the quarter-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters with an assertive 6-3 6-3 victory over Frenchman Gilles Simon.
The opening exchanges were cagey until Murray found his range and dominated rallies with aggressive groundstrokes.
The Scot’s consistency was frustrating Simon, who twisted his ankle at 5-3 but managed to continue.
Simon responded with an early break in the second but Murray utilised the drop shot against his ailing opponent.
“I thought it was a good match until he got hurt,” said Murray. “Once I got my position on the court and could use my forehand to open the court on his backhand I was able to dictate a lot of the points – then he got his injury.
“It changed the match. You always feel you are in the driving seat but it’s not a lot of fun, it spoils the concentration. You know you are in the driving seat and you want to put the foot down and finish the match.
“Drop shots were winning me virtually every single point – I had to keep moving him.”
Murray now faces Portuguese qualifier Frederico Gil, the world number 82, for a place in the semi-finals.