Simon into Brisbane semis

Gilles Simon continued his serene progress at the Brisbane International with a 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 quarter-final win over Santiago Giraldo.

Frenchman to face Dolgopolov for place in Queensland final

Gilles Simon continued his serene progress at the Brisbane International with a solid 7-6 (7/2) 6-4 quarter-final win over Santiago Giraldo. The second-seeded Frenchman lost to Giraldo in the first round in Brisbane last year, but gained his revenge on the Columbian in just under two hours. Simon has now won three matches in 2012 without dropping a set and he will next face Alexandr Dolgopolov for a place in the final. Ukrainian third seed Dolgopolov booked his place in the last four with a battling 4-6 6-3 6-3 triumph over former champion Radek Stepanek. "I think we played a high level from the very first game," Simon said of his match with Giraldo. "It was difficult but I think I was stronger than him physically and finally he started to miss a lot. I got some easy points at times and I felt that I had more opportunities than him. "I won the tie-break and I think it is always important to win the tie-break when you've been playing for more than an hour. After I won the tie-break I felt more comfortable."