France's Gilles Simon rediscovers old form to reach Shanghai Masters final
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Gilles Simon of France reached his first Masters-level final in six years by defeating Feliciano Lopez of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the semifinals of the Shanghai Masters on Saturday.
Simon served with great efficiency against Lopez, winning all but two points on his first serve and never facing a break point.
He also handled Lopez's aggressive serve-and-volley game with ease, striking a number of well-placed passing shots down the line for winners and breaking the Spaniard twice.
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Simon's ranking had dipped to No. 44 in June, but he's lifted his game considerably in recent weeks, defeating fifth-ranked David Ferrer to reach the fourth round of the U.S. Open and beating two more top-10 players in Shanghai to reach the final.