Richard Gasquet is refusing to let his recent injury setbacks get the better of him as he prepares for his 14th main draw appearance at the French Open.
The former world No.7 has only been able to play two tournaments since March, winning only one match on the ATP Tour. He was forced to miss both Indian Wells and Miami after undergoing urgent appendix surgery. Gasquet returned to action at the Barcelona Open followed by Estoril before more turmoil occurred. The latest issue was a back problem, which was caused by the aftereffects of his recent operation.
“I’m improving steadily,” he told rolandgarros.com. “I was a bit apprehensive, which is only natural, but I think my sciatica is gradually fading. It had been a long time since I’d woken up feeling like this, free of any pain or soreness – not since the only night when I was able to sleep in Indian Wells, Now I’ve got to keep going.”
Besides the problems, Gasquet has achieved some solid results on the tour this season. At the Montpelier Open, he reached the final before losing to Alexander Zverev. Then at the Marseille Open he progressed to the semifinals.
ガスケさん練習中(フルスクリーンサイズバージョン)
[ @richardgasquet1 IG story https://t.co/GYcIjpQ6M8 ]#gasquet #practice pic.twitter.com/SiB1kymf9Z— shizune (@Shizune82119) 18 May 2017
Gasquet is continuing his rehabilitation in Paris with the French Open less than two weeks away. Recently he sought help from both a doctor and osteopath in a bid to regain full fitness. A process he is confident about.
“I did a fair amount of fitness work,” he explained, “and I played a lot too, including some sets. Right now, I’m on schedule and I’m happy with how things are shaping up because the aftermath of the appendicitis was tough and I had a lot of concerns. I feel it’s going better and better.”
Only time will tell to see how the Frenchman performs in his home grand slam. The prospect of playing five-set matches is daunting for any player that has endured injury concerns. On the other hand, with a 50th appearance in a grand slam looming, experience could prove pivotal for Gasquet.
“We’ll see what happens: I’ve got the experience and I think I can have a good tournament.” He said.
Last year, Gasquet defeated Kei Nishikori to reach the quarter-finals at Roland Garros. It was his best ever performance at the tournament.
