Congrats to new dad Gilles Simon

Gilles Simon has become a daddy for the first time!

His longtime girlfriend Carine Lauret gave birth to a boy on September 2 whom they named, Timothée.

The baby was born four weeks early and Simon missed his birth because he was competing in the US Open.

Simon did not enter the Thailand Open to defend his title as his son was supposed to due at end of September. I wonder if he will request for a wild card to play in Bangkok since he is the defending champion...

(Images via menstennisforums.com)

Weekend winners: Nikolay Davydenko, Gilles Simon, Maria Sharapova

Top seed Nikolay Davydenko defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 7-5 to win the Malaysia Open on Sunday.

Poles Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski took the doubles title after beating Igor Kunitsyn and Jaroslav Levinsky 6-2, 6-1.

In Bangkok, Gilles Simon won the Thailand Open after down Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-3 for his first ATP title of the year and sixth overall.

In the doubles final, Americans Eric Butorac and Rajeev Ram beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Mischa Zverev 7-6(4), 6-3.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Maria Sharapova won her first tournament since returning from a 10-month injury layoff when Jelena Jankovic retired because of an arm injury in the first set of the Toray Pan Pacific final.

Sharapova was up 5-2 at Ariake Colosseum when the seventh-seeded Serb took a timeout to have her right arm examined by the trainer. Jankovic returned to the court and lost the first two points of the eighth game before retiring.

(Via AP; Images via Yahoo! Sports)

Simon, Ginepri, Isner go barefoot & shirtless for Muay Thai fun

I've been neglecting other tournaments lately to provide exclusive coverage on the Malaysian Open.

So here's a little bit of updates regarding the PTT Thailand Open.

Gilles Simon, Robby Ginepri and John Isner attended a promotional/traditional event for the tournament yesterday.

They did a Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) demonstration guided by Thai Olympian Somjit Jongjorhor.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did the same thing last year.

I hope the other guys take good care of Simon. He and his 'chicken legs' look too fragile for this sport :P

Here are more pictures at the event.

By the way, if you haven't know yet, Sam Querrey had a freak accident earlier this week while practicing for the Thailand Open.

Querrey was said to have sat on a glass table after practice on Monday and fell through, cutting his right forearm. The injury required immediate emergency surgery.

(Photo by Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Gilles Simon makes heads turn

Everyone loves Gilles Simon.

The Frenchman is fast gaining popularity including in Asia.

I've been seeing him on ACE, an Asian-based tennis magazine show on ESPN Star Sports countless times this year due to request from fans.

And speaking of ACE, if you have any questions for your favourite players, you can forward them to the host Georgina Chang or producer of the show at ace@espnstar.com as they will be covering the Wimbledon tennis tournament LIVE next week.

Gilles Simon - Robert Pattinson: Separated at birth?

This is not a new topic but I thought 'madeinburma' in MTF did a great job with these comparison photos.


(Via menstennisforums.com)

2009 French Open Day 1: This is just the beginning...

Defending champion Ana Ivanovic was made to sweat before concluded a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Italian Sara Errani to reach the second round of the French Open.

Errani was not very happy with the umpire during the match with Ivanovic.

Li Na, who missed last year's tournament due to injury, had the honour of becoming the first player to reach the second round thanks to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Marta Domachowska.

Eighteen-year-old Russian qualifier Vitalia Diatchenko, the world no.151, can't bear to see a tearful Mathilde Johansson whom she beat 2-6, 6-2, 10-8.

Diatchenko, making her Grand Slam debut, will face either world number one Dinara Safina or Britain's Anne Keothavong for a place in the third round.

Ivo Karlovic had set a record of 55 aces in a tour-level match but still he lost to former world no.1 Lleyton Hewitt who will move on to the second round after winning 6-7 (1), 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-3.

Marat Safin made sure there would be at least one more date on his French Open farewell tour when he eased past French wildcard Alexandre Sidorenko 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Smoking hot Fernando Verdasco had an easy first round win over Florent Serra after beating the Frenchman 6-2, 6-1, 6-4.

Nicolas Almagro gave Agustin Calleri a brotherly hug after defeating the Argentine 6-4, 6-1, 6-3.

Andy Murray is another player who had an easy win. He defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-2, 6-1.

Gilles Simon survived a five-setter against American Wayne Odesnik. Simon was forced to work hard before winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.

Hottie Robert Kendrick also survived a five set match after beating Daniel Brands 6-7 (7), 7-5, 7-6 (13), 4-6, 6-3.

For further results, click here.

TV is not showing Ernests Gulbis vs Sam Querrey match. I better go catch my beauty sleep now. Good night!

(Images via Yahoo! Sports)

How could they miss out Gilles Simon at the Miami Seaquarium?

Fernando Gonzalez, Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and Nenad Zimonjic were at the Miami Seaquarium earlier today prior to the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.


(Images by Marc Serota/Getty Images for Sony Ericsson)

Let's celebrate brotherhood!

Either you hate it or embrace it.

If you don't get it, let's just say that these are just funny photos ;-)

Andy Murray in pink.

Richard Gasquet, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon.

Marin Cilic and Mario Ancic.

Dmitry Tursunov and Grigor Dimitrov.

Marc Gicquel riding on Gilles Simon.

(All images via menstennisforums.com)

Gilles Simon survives Grigor Dimitrov scare in Marseille

Gilles Simon almost become the latest victim of the upcoming, cute-looking and abs-flaunting kid.

The Frenchman had to come back from 5-2 down in the last set to beat Grigor Dimitrov who is affectionately known as Grisha 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round of the Open 13 yesterday.

"From the moment I broke back, I felt much better," Simon said.

"That hurt him physically and mentally, and I won the next games quite easily."

Well, Gilles, I don't think it's going to hurt Grisha in long term though.

Grisha who has just turned pro is certainly making his mark in the ATP tour this year.

Gosh, how I wish Yang Tsung Hua can achieve that too but it's not going to happen if he sticks with his current management. Tsung Hua already missed the opportunity of his lifetime by not taking IMG's offer.

Back to Grisha, I've just digged up a youtube of him showing middle finger to the chair umpire.

Boy, this kid sure have lotsa fire!

He reminds me of the young Roger who smashed his racquet right in front of the umpire.

(Images via downthelinetennis.com, Open 13 website)

Gilles Simon knows how to play Rafael Nadal

I'm quite anxious about the quarterfinal match between Rafael Nadal and Gilles Simon tomorrow. As I'll be heading back to KL tomorrow I could be missing this match.

It's interesting to read Gilles' interview especially on how confident he is on taking Nadal. Here's an excerpt of that interview.

Q. Do you have some specific tactics in your mind if it's Nadal?

GILLES SIMON: Yes. I have to run five hours to win. I have no choice (laughter).

Usually I think that it's easier to play against them because you really know what you have to do. You just have to do a perfect match to win. If it's not perfect, you lose.

It's easier when you get into the court. It's easier to stay focused on the match because you know that every point is important.

Well, just have to be perfect to win. So I prefer to play in that way.

Q. How different will you feel facing Nadal again perhaps in this tournament compared to last year when you faced him here? You've changed a lot as a player. How different is your approach now mentally maybe?

GILLES SIMON: Yeah, the approach is different because I just did it once, so it's easier for me. When you get into the court, you just want to win always. Last year when I played against him, that was not this already.

I wanted to play a good match, but when I had a chance to finish the first set finally, yeah, I didn't play to win the match. I was just enjoying to be on the court, playing beautiful points, but that was it.

This time it's gonna be different because I just want to win. I don't care about my level.

Earlier today, Gilles took a break to do AO promo photo shooting at the southern star wheel.


(Images by Fiona Hamilton/AFP/Getty Images)

Gilles Simon & Alize Cornet too hot for Rendy Lu & Hsieh Su-wei to handle

I watched the Hopman Cup, the match between France and Taiwan today. I honestly thought Taiwan had a chance. Well, I hope but it didn't happen.

It was a disappointing lost for Taiwan who can't handlehot favourite, France.

Alize Cornet beat Hsieh Su-wei 6-4, 6-4 and Gilles Simon defeated Rendy Lu Yen-hsun 6-3, 7-6 (8).

Rendy should have lend his shirt to Gilles.

The pair then combined to beat Hsieh and Rendy 6-4, 7-6 (9) in mixed doubles to complete France’s 3-0 win, saving five set points in the tiebreaker.

The duo will play Italy's Flavia Pennetta and Simone Bolelli next up on Tuesday.

(Images via Yahoo! Sport)

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(Images via Forty Deuce, Yahoo! Sport)

Andy Roddick is still missing from Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai

Where the heck is Andy Roddick?

The rest of the guys are not waiting for him. They have already taken the official Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai players photo.

Roddick is also not seen mingling with the guys at practice. Perhaps he wants to practice alone and strategize to succeed here. Or maybe he's not in Shanghai yet, I guess.

Andy Murray is begging Roger Federer not to beat him this time around.

Awww.. lovely couple, they have so much to talk about.

Gilles Simon has been practicing diligently.

So does Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Jo-Willy

This song is dedicated to Mirka. She's not exactly lonely but bored.

(Images via Tennis Masters Cup official site, Osports.cn)