Dustin Brown sends Gilles Simon out in Montpellier

04 February 2016 10:23

Dustin Brown sprung a surprise at the Open Sud de France on Thursday as he sent third-seeded home favourite Gilles Simon crashing out in round two.

The German qualifier, who overcame Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon last summer, triumphed 6-4 6-4 in Montpellier.

He now faces a quarter-final clash with Ruben Bemelmans of Belgium, who beat Brown's compatriot Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-3.

Thursday also saw two of Simon's fellow Frenchman go head to head in 2002 champion Paul-Henri Mathieu and fourth-seeded 2013 finalist Benoit Paire, the former emerging with a 6-3 6-3 victory.

Mathieu next faces Australia's John Millman, who beat another Frenchman, qualifier Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 4-6 6-1 6-4.

Source: PA