Gilles Simon called his 0-6, 6-0, 7-6 (0) win against Gael Monfils in Madrid a "very, very strange" match, reflecting the scoreline.

The Frenchman joked that he would have to watch the match again to know what had happened.

"One of the most strange matches I've played," he told reporters following his win. "It was a very, very strange match. Neither of us played good at the same time. Neither of us played good ... It was hard to find rhythm."

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Monfils told reporters he was very angry following the match and did not want to talk, subsequently apologizing on social media.

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Simon, who came back from a break down in the third set, identified the turning point of the match.

"[Until] the second half of the first set, I could not put a ball into the court," he said. "Then ... I lifted my level and his fell. He played two bad games at the beginning of the second set, and then I played two better games."

The pair is known for playing lengthy encounters against each other.