Gael Monfils has defeated compatriot and good friend Richard Gasquet 7-6, 5-7, 4-3 ret to move into the fourth round of the French Open.
The match had unsurprisingly been billed as the battle for leadership in French tennis. With other hopefuls Gilles Simon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Lucas Pouille all out already, this match ensured the winner would stand alone in the French Open from the home nation’s perspective.
Gasquet came into the match with plenty of injury concerns. The Frenchman missed a big chunk of the season between Marseille and Barcelona, a period lasting two months. He also was struggling with a back injury for the last few weeks.
Gasquet immediately looked uncomfortable, visibly wincing and grimacing during intervals. However, it did not necessarily threaten his movement, as he stayed with Monfils through the first set.
Monfils did win the first by the tightest of margins, 7-5 in a tiebreak. Gasquet held a tough service game for 4-3, and then surprisingly broke Monfils late in the set to level the scores.
With the match level, many may have hoped for a long five-set thriller. However, Gasquet’s injury issues were compounded early in the third when he required his thigh to be heavily taped. He was broken to love at 3-3, missing a backhand down the line. He then retired in the next game after failing to make significant inroads.
Monfils is set for a mouthwatering encounter with former champion Stan Wawrinka in the fourth round. The Swiss won the tournament in 2015. The head-to-head is delicately poised at 2-2. They have never met on clay, and Wawrinka won their most recent encounter at the 2011 Australian Open.
Wawrinka has been a different player since their last meeting, having won three grand slam titles. Monfils’ best effort at a slam is reaching the semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open.
