Michael Llodra, the unsung member of
Saturday's semifinal action, rose to the occasion and bested second-seeded
Gilles Simon in a lengthy three-set match at the Lyon Tennis Grand Prix.
Llodra rallied to force a tiebreak in the third set, then owned nearly every
point to down Simon, 6-7 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (7-1). The wild card used a powerful
forehand to oust the Frenchman for the fourth time in as many tries in his
career.
He will meet third-seeded Ivan Ljubicic in the final after the Croat downed
former Lyon champion Arnaud Clement, 6-2, 6-4. The wild card Clement was
riding high after a marathon three-set victory over top-seeded Frenchman Jo-
Wilfried Tsonga.
Sunday's winner will receive $152,000.
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