Led 6-4, 4-1 by Botic Van de Zandschulp in the first round of the Bucharest tournament, Richard Gasquet managed to overthrow the Dutch to win in three sets. A sacred performance for the future retiree.
In two months, Richard Gasquet will be a retired player. But the 38 -year -old Biterrois intends to enjoy his career until the end, and offer himself some good times on the court. For the moment, his 2025 season was hardly brilliant, with only a victory on the ATP circuit, but the French veteran signed a good performance this Monday for his entry into Bucharest. Invited by the organizer and former tennis player Ion Tiriac in the Romanian capital, where he had not set foot since 2008, Richard Gasquet, 148th in the world, eliminated a much better classified player than him, Botic Van de Zandschulp, 88th, who had eliminated him to the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2022.
Led 6-4, 4-1, the Biterrois managed to win 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in 2:20! In the first set, the two players kept their service up to 3-3, before the Dutchman breake on his first opportunity. He then concluded on his fourth set ball. On its momentum, “BVDZ” Breaké from the second round entrance and then at 3-1 and was probably thought of moving to an easy victory.
Gasquet suffers then unroll
But it was then that Richard Gasquet came out of his torpor and started his rise. He rocked twice to equalize at 4-4, before being afraid when he lost his service and allowed his opponent to serve for the match at 5-4. At 40-40, Van de Zandschulp was only two points from the victory, but it was the French who won these two points and equalized at 5-5. He then signed a new break at 6-5 to return to a round everywhere! The Gasquet machine was launched and the Dutchman could not do anything to stop it. The Frenchman won the first five games by break twice on four occasions, then concluded 5-1 on his first match ball!
So here he is in the round of 16 of an ATP tournament for the second time of the season, and it is Flavio Cobolli, world n ° 45 but in big hassle this season (no victory on the ATP circuit), which will appear to him. Note also this Monday the victory of the seeded n ° 7, Mariano Navone, against Laslo Djere: 6-1, 4-6, 6-2 in 1h57, by losing only his service once.
