French world number 12 Gilles Simon reached the second round of the ATP event in Lyon on Wednesday with a 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5) win over Italian Simone Bolelli.

The home hope, seeded two, followed top-seeded compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga into round two of the €650 000 tournament.

"Bolelli is a player who poses you quite a few problems and I'd never beaten him. He has a bludgeoning forehand and he can mix it up on the backhand," said Simon, relieved to have edged out the world number 72 as he bids to go further than last year's run to the semis.

He next faces French qualifier David Guez.

Another of the home contingent, sixth-seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu, put out Argentine Leonardo Mayer 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

Sebastien Grosjean, former world number four but now ranked down at 711 and a wildcard entry here, went down 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/2) to experienced German Nicolas Kiefer, while French fifth seed Julien Benneteau moved into the last eight with a 7-5, 6-2 second round win over South African Kevin Anderson.

AFP

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