Andy Murray vs. Gilles Simon: Madrid Open Clash Is Top Matchup of 3rd Round

If you were looking for a must-watch match from the third round of the Madrid Open on the men's side, look no further than Andy Murray facing Gilles Simon.

Murray is the No. 3 seed in this tournament and No. 3 in the world, while Simon is the No. 13 seed in the tournament and No. 17 in the world. 

Now, I now what you are thinking—Murray is 10-1 all-time versus Simon, has won 10 in a row in the matchup and is 3-1 on clay against him. Plus, Simon hasn't beaten him since 2007.

It would seem to be a rather one-sided affair and perhaps not as appealing as, say, watching world No. 2 Roger Federer take on No. 16 Kei Nishikori, especially since Federer took a two-month hiatus before returning for this tournament.

But we really have no idea how that match might play out since the two have only faced once, a straight-sets victory for Federer in 2011. Besides, Federer didn't look all that rusty in his return against Radek Stepanek, winning 6-3, 6-3. It's hard to imagine Nishikori beating him.

But Simon is capable of pulling off the upset, even if Murray has owned him in the past. Remember, this is a player who has beaten Federer twice in four meetings and knocked off Rafael Nadal at last year's ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Monte Carlo.

Simon also has wins over world No. 7 Juan Martin del Potro and No. 10 Janko Tipsarevic this season—he can play a little bit, folks.

Obviously, I think Murray will win this match. He's been very strong in 2013, with two tournament wins and a trip to the Australian Open final. If 2012 was the year Murray proved he belonged among the sport's elite with an Olympic gold medal and US Open title, 2013 is the year to prove it wasn't a fluke.

But it isn't as though we haven't already seen an upset at this tournament. Who would have predicted Novak Djokovic losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the second round, after all?

For that reason, I don't see Murray taking this match lightly. I think Simon will press him and force a decisive third set, but Murray is too strong to bow out this early. Well, at least I think he is. 

Perhaps Simon can channel the energy of Dimitrov and surprise us all.