Moya to face defending champion Simon in Bucharest Final

The championship match at the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest is set. The 1996 runner-up Carlos Moya (pictured) and defending champion Gilles Simon went different routes to earn a berth in the finals. Moya won in convincing fashion over top-seeded Richard Gasquet, while Simon grinded out a three set win over No. 8 seed Jose Acasuso that lasted roughly three hours.

Moya, the 1998 Roland Garros champion and former World No. 1 wasted little time in earning a berth into his 44th career ATP singles final as he defeated No. 1 seed Gasquet, 6-2, 6-4. The Spaniard smashed three aces, while only tossing in two doubles faults, compared to five double faults by Gasquet. Moya was able to save both break points he faced, while breaking the Frenchman’s serve on three occasions. Gasquet won only 10 return of serve points throughout the match, while Moya was very successful when returning second serves. He won 69 percent of points on Gasquet’s second serve. A winner of 20 ATP singles titles since turning pro in 1995, Moya will now play in his 28th career clay court final. The 32-year-old currently ranked No. 61 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings looks to win a title for the 9th consecutive year.

In the classic match of the day that gave spectators all that they could handle, No. 2 seed Simon held off 2004 champion Acasuso, 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-4, to earn a berth in his third final of the year. Earning titles earlier this year on hard courts in Indianapolis and clay courts in Casablanca (Morocco), Simon was able to stay focused and break serve at the right time in the final set to advance. Both players were able to break each other’s serve on four occasions, but Simon won 120 points overall compared to Acasuso’s 112. Along with the two singles titles he has won this year, Simon is having a career best year, including beating Roger Federer at the Masters Series Canada and earning a career high ranking of No. 13. The Frenchman currently is ranked No. 17 in the world. With the lose Acasuso falls to 25-22 on the year and drops to 0-4 lifetime against the 23-year-old Frenchman, three of the losses coming this season. Simon now holds a 39-20 record this season and is 10-1 lifetime at the BCR Open Romania.

Sunday’s championship match will mark the second meeting between Moya and Simon, with the veteran Spaniard leading the series 1-0, having won in 2005 on hard courts at the Masters Series Cincinnati.