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Match details
Fixture: Gilles Simon vs (6) John Millman
Date: 11 November 2020
Tournament: Sofia Open 2020
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria
Category: ATP 250 Series
Surface: Indoor hardcourt
Prize money: €325,615
Match timing: 12 pm local time, 3.30 pm IST
Live telecast: USA - ESPN / Tennis Channel
Gilles Simon vs John Millman preview
Qualifier Gilles Simon will battle sixth seed John Millman for a spot in the Sofia Open 2020 quarterfinals.
Simon has played some fantastic tennis in Bulgaria this week. The veteran player brushed aside Illya Marchenko and Luke Saville in the qualifying rounds and followed that up with a convincing win over Andrej Martin in the first round.
The former World No. 6 will aim to continue in the same vein when he takes on Astana Open champion John Millman.
Millman has had a decent indoor hardcourt swing in 2020. The Australian lost to Mischa Zverev in the first round of the Cologne 1 event, but he managed to take a set off World No. 7 Alexander Zverev in the second round of Cologne 2.
Millman turned pro way back in 2006, and his 14-year wait for a title ended earlier this month in Kazakhstan - where he won the Astana Open. The 31-year-old defeated the likes of Fernando Verdasco, Tommy Paul, Frances Tiafoe and Adrian Mannarino en route to the title.
That said, the Aussie doesn't have much momentum on his side given that Miomir Kecmanovic beat him in straight sets in the first round of the recently concluded Paris Masters.
Gilles Simon vs John Millman head-to-head
Gilles Simon leads John Millman 1-0 in their head-to-head record. The two players played each other in the 2019 Sydney International quarterfinals, where the Frenchman prevailed 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (3).
Gilles Simon vs John Millman prediction
Both Gilles Simon and John Millman are great at counterpunching. While Simon likes to use his opponents' pace against them, Millman covers the court extremely well and makes good use of any opening he gets.
The sixth seed seems to have recovered from his loss to Kecmanovic in the Paris Masters, as he beat the unseeded Adrian Andreev 6-2, 6-2 in the first round of the Sofia Open. Simon meanwhile has been playing with supreme consistency in Bulgaria; he is yet to drop a set after playing three matches in the competition.
The 2009 Australian Open quarterfinalist didn't lose his serve even once against Martin in the first round. If he continues serving well against Millman, Simon could very well upset his higher-ranked opponent.
Prediction: Gilles Simon to win in three sets.
