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Simon downs Troicki to win Sydney title

SYDNEY - Gilles Simon claimed his eighth career ATP title with a solid straight sets victory over Serbia’s Viktor Troicki in the final of the Sydney International on Saturday.

The steady Frenchman drove the emotional Troicki to sheer frustration with his consistency to carve out a 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) victory in 1hr 59min.

Fourth seed Troicki’s anxiety turned to anger when he hurled his racquet into the court and kicked out at the net as Simon won his fifth straight match against the Serb.

Troicki has yet to take a set off the No.41 ranked Frenchman, who defeated three seeds on the way to the Sydney title in his 10^th ATP Tour final.

He downed Taiwan’s eighth seed Lu Yen-Hsun in the first round and Latvian third seed Ernests Gulbis in his semi-final.

Simon held his nerve in the second set tiebreaker as Troicki was unsettled by a foot fault call on a second serve at 5-2 to give the Frenchman the edge.

Both players traded service breaks early in the opening set before Simon began to take control with his big forehands and steady defence.

Troicki fought off four set points in the 10^th game, although the Frenchman was unlucky not to take the set when the Serbian successfully challenged an ‘out’ call.

But Simon broke Troicki’s serve a second time in the 12^th game to take the opening set in 58 minutes, prompting the Serb to hurl his racquet into the court in disgust.

Troicki hit back with a double service break early in the second set, but the Frenchman broke back to trail 3-1.

A weak Troicki backhand into the net gave back another break to level the match at 3-3.

The frustrated Serb kicked out at the net as Simon stepped up the pressure and hit the front.

Troicki broke back with a smash but Simon sent the set into a tiebreaker when he broke again.

Simon always had the lead in the tiebreak and worked his way to two match points, taking the title when Troicki sent a backhand wide.

It was some measure of satisfaction for Simon after France’s Davis Cup final loss to Serbia in Belgrade last month.