Roland Garros is down to its last Frenchman in the singles draw, and an upset will be required if the host nation wants to have a representative in the semifinals. Richard Gasquet may not have been France’s best hope prior to the tournament, but he has battled his way into a Tuesday showdown with Andy Murray.
Andy Murray and Richard Gasquet will be squaring off for the 11th time in their careers when they clash in the quarterfinals of the French Open on Tuesday. Murray is leading the head-to-head series 7-3, including 2-1 on clay and 4-0 in their last four meetings dating back to a collision at this same tournament in 2012.
What was a burgeoning Grand Slam rivalry between 2008 and 2012 has stalled out of late. Murray and Gasquet faced each other four times at slams–twice at Roland Garros and twice at Wimbledon–in a five-year span, but they have not met in such a situation since the Scot prevailed 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 during fourth-round action in 2012. Murray has recovered from two-set deficits at the Frenchman’s expense on two occasions; 5-7, 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4 at the All-England Club in 2008 and 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 in the 2010 French Open first round.
Speaking of opening-round scares on the red clay, that is exactly what the world No. 2 endured last week. Veteran qualifier Radek Stepanek surged to a two-set advantage over Murray only to eventually succumb 3-6, 3-6, 6-0, 6-3, 7-5. Murray struggled though another five-setter in round two–against little-known wild card Mathias Bourgue, whom the favorite overcame 6-2, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3. A pair of huge servers proved to be just what the doctor ordered for Murray, who raised his level considerably in straight-set defeats of Ivo Karlovic and John Isner.
Surprisingly, Gasquet had never been to the French Open quarters prior to this fortnight. The world No. 12 finally got over the hump in his 13th appearance, and he did so by upsetting Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 on Sunday. That was preceded by straight-setters against Thomaz Bellucci, Bjorn Fratangelo, and Nick Kyrgios. Thus run has really come out of nowhere for Gasquet, whose clay-court preparation was derailed by none other than Nishikori (the Japanese cruised in third-round contests in Madrid and Rome).
But avenging those losses to Nishikori should have Gasquet brimming with confidence heading into this one. Unfortunately for the underdog, the pressure will be ratcheted up for his first-ever quarterfinal at Roland Garros. He handled it well on Sunday, but an even bigger test against an even better opponent could be a problem. Murray’s propensity to take the ball early–especially off the return of serve–will take time away from a player who does not have compact strokes off either the forehand or backhand side. Nishikori had previously managed to execute that tactic but let himself get pushed around in rallies during the most recent contest.
Murray has been improving with each match, and the upswing in form should see him through to an impressive third consecutive French Open semifinal.
Pick: Murray in 4
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Much needed ace.
oh lol..I can’t take it. This isn’t going well.
over-hitting. nerves. RBA on fire.
he’s giving rba belief….
This is the worst Djokovic has played in 2 years
reverse of what you expect from the world number one. playing badly on the big points when he has control elsewhere.
And the best RBA has ever played vs Nole!
We all know how dangerous Bautista-Agut can be but he wasn’t worrying me because Nole usually masters him — some wobbles the first time they met but after that…
Pironkova is through…this isn’t the best day for ratstradamus.
second serve return in the net on break point
nole takes second set!!
he’ll be ok now…
are you happier now rc??
a little bit, thanks amy. Glad you are here.
stressful isn’t it?? have been shouting at the tv…
It is, but too much caffeine and I’ve shot myself in the foot – I should know better. Watching Gulbis and Goffin would be a nice anti-dote if I had the option! 😀
nole deserved that. so much bad luck with 2 broken strings serving for the set…
are the rallies physical? both grinding it out I assume. Not sure how long the rallies are given the no. of errors
not as physical as you might imagine given it’s a clay court…
stosur has beaten simona…
granollers and thiem 5-5…come on thiem..
nole saves a break point for the first time! sacre bleu!
Stress is getting to him. Rubbing his neck and rolling his eyes at his box. Every point is a labor the way Roberto is going.
rubbing the neck….typical sing of feeling under-confident
horrible lob by nole..
rba does actually save a break point this time..
The last couple of times these two played, I was struck by how easily RBA gave up; and lacked his usual tenacity. Of course Nole knew how to play him. There wasn’t much RBA could do.
as i said before i think nole has given him belief by playing badly on break points both his own and against him so rba has upped his game somewhat..
nole holds to love.
rc do you really think rba is playing that well?? he is playing better than usual but only hit 4 winners in the second set as opposed to nole’s 14 ….nole was much the better player that set.
Yeah. I think he’s on to Nole’s vulnerability, the pressure today and doing his RBA job — making the most of it. 5 sets — all of these matches could go 5! Gulbis is being dangersous — up a break on Goffin! at least something to laugh about, amy – 😀
ricky will be pleased. he loves gulbis. he’s not my cup of tea tbh….
Wouldn’t say I love EG but for me as a sort of troll in an ATP draw – I can appreciate him that way.
ahh i see!!! not sure quite why ricky likes him so much…think it may be the same sort of thing. ie his cheerful insults in the press conferences and so on…
Ricky likes Gulbis but he likes Goffin waaaaaaaaaaay more.
meeeeeeee tooooooo. There’s something about a Goffin!
that’s not what he told ben and courtney the other day….
Ricky doesn’t like Goffin?
no sorry not that. he said his favourite player was gulbis!!! unless i misremembered because i was doing something else at the same time and was distracted…
ricky said, as i recall, that his 5 favourite players were 1. gulbis 2. isner
3.rafa 4. thiem 5. goffin…..
isner!!!
that wasn’t in order. And I didn’t say it. Ben did.
Oh, okay, thanks…that makes sense. Was guessing he pays to much attention to Goffin to not like him. It’s been a pleasant surprise.
Justin Gimelstob absolutely loves saying Thiem is country strong lol…
as per your avatar, halep said that the conditions were impossible to play in after she lost….
does feel they were the overriding factor with aga as well…
less said about gimelgob the better no??
isner????
gulbis as his favourite????
hahahahahahahahahahahaha
Nah, Rafa is obviously RD’s fav.
And, he still likes Goffin waaaaay more than Gulbis despite what he said.
that’s what i thought hawks!!
unbelievable!!!!
ricky has a nice voice though to compensate for these strange statements…
I didn’t tell them anything during the show. Ben was reading off names from a previous off-air conversation.
Still though, isner? Must be the American connection.
Same reason I cheer for Raonic so can’t really blame you even though Isner is a pox on tennis.
Gollieee, ack! Granollers got a set. haha, I give up.
you’re kidding me!! please let’s not see granny in the quarters…anyone for an rba/granny semi?? not me thanks
rainus interruptus
it’s becoming very difficult to see the ball it’s so covered in the clay
the plot literally thickens
hahahah rc!!
it’s just tennis in the end, amy. Gotta love it! ironic, nerve-wracking tennis…
if you say so…! been doing a lot of shouting today!! nole is showing some heart and guts now..
He’s going to need a lot of heart and guts to get through this episode in his career. I want him to do it!
this could be the turning point for him. having to really guts it out and that giving him belief and calming him.
i was shouting at him to grind it out and stop the flashy stuff and he did just that.
imo, Rafa having to abandon increases the pressure to perform. Nole is supposed to win — it’s gotta be immense, the pressure, that is. It would be nice to go home and relax with Jelena and Stefan!
that’s probably true. remember how fed struggled after rafa went out in 09?
same thing going on….
nole breaks!! he is grinding it out now
the other courts have stopped play
Djokovic’s NOT losing this! no matter what
Well? RBA is the more calm/aggressive. But Nole got him that last point at deuce. It’s been difficult to execute a usual plan vs RBA — attack the backhand and stay the heck away from the guy’s forehand. Bobby has a wicked cc forehand.
since when did rba become david ferrer? retrieving everything…
what a hold by nole!! that was more like the world number one. saved several break points…
they’re going off. commies saying they kept them on so that rg didn’t have to pay the money back to the spectators…got to the 2 hour mark.
no more tennis for the day??
they are hoping to get back on after a while vr
andy is watching….but he won’t get on today
:/
Is that a fact! Crumbs. I thought it was Nole who wanted to keep on because he had the momentum with him at that point.
This is turning into a Mickey Mouse tourney. Up until now Forget has always got up my nose but I’m beginning to feel sorry for him being at the helm of this sinking ship.
that was a bit like a carry on film. couldn’t see the ball. court covered in mist. only needed to be at wimby with cliff richard singing i’m forever blowing bubbles…
They are talking about a Monday finish on the tennis channel. Rain delay! What a surprise! I am just surprised to hear that Novak is having a tough time.
Remember that year well with Cliff leading the sing-along.
Guess we have a rainy Wimbledon to look forward to.
nothing we brits like as much as a rainy singalong.
won’t stop people camping out in their tents for tickets and flooding the hill.
i heard earlier that guy forget said it had to be sunday.
Then someone is going to be at a real disadvantage. On the tennis channel they said that they can’t see how it can be done and a Monday finish is the only way to go.
I checked the scores and novak seems to have gotten control of his match. Surprising to see him lose the first set.
it will be very very unfair if they make them play back to back matches. will nole finish his semi in the morning and play the final in the afternoon??
play stopped for 45 minutes.
I can’t believe that Granollers won a set off Thiem. Must be the experience factor.
Does anyone know when they will call it for the day?
Nole suffering the same nerves of expectation Fed felt in 2009 going two sets down to Haas after Rafa lost.
exactly.
add that to the fact that he’s not been playing too well lately….
I only saw the first set but so many UEs from Nole.
Can’t blame the conditions because Nole took eight straight games from Rafa in the 2012 final under the same wet conditions.
All nerves.
Tennis at this level is 90% between the ears.
Yup. The look on his face as he took the court today. Eyes wide and darting around — wasn’t sure if it meant an intense focus or he’d rather be somewhere else and be doing something else — the answer came when they started playing. All the UE’s. I don’t blame the conditions. Between the ears is right. In some circles, I’d be crucified for admitting it.