Weeks 21/22 - French Open - R1: Andy vs Richard Gasquet

seagull · Hall of fame

RE: Weeks 21/22 - French Open - R1: Andy vs Richard Gasquet

goldfish · Futures qualifying

Tough match - for us fans, that is! Excellent win with a bit of luck, I feel, Gasquet being just a tad tired.

Did anyone spot that great bit of commentary on Eurosport in the 5th set - Murray hit a brilliant drop shot and there was a close up of Gasquet with the comment 'Now there's a real GEM'

priceless.

philwrig · Hall of fame

Never in doubt. Gasquet was spent from the middle of the second set. Andy just had to stay patient and his chances would eventually come.

MiloTheCat · Lower Club Player

Interesting that the Times says Andy

was failing to land less than 50 per cent of his first serves.

Sounds like an above average serving performance wink

I missed the first two sets. From what I saw in set 3, the forehand up the line is a nice improvement as is the increased agression.

Sets 4 and 5 were more in the style of the old Andy - nothing more was required.

Lets hope this is the start of a good run and that this match proves to be a turning point in the season.

steven · Tennis legend

Discounting the Dubai 2009 w/o he gave to Gasquet which never got on court, Andy has now made it 20-0 v GEMs since that AO R1 loss to Tsonga. biggrin

Also, his 5-set record now reads:

1-2 in 2005

L Nalbandian @ Wimby from 2 sets up - 7-6(4) 6-1 0-6 4-6 1-6
W Pavel @ USO from 2-1 down - 6-3 3-6 3-6 6-1 6-4
L Clément @ USO - 2-6 6-7(2) 6-2 7-6(4) 0-6

2-1 in 2006

L Monfils @ RG from 2-1 up - 4-6 7-6(2) 6-1 2-6 1-6
W Ram @ DC from 2 sets down - 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-2 6-3
W Gonzalez @ USO from 1-2 down - 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-2

2-1 in 2007

L Nadal @ AO from 1-0 and 2-1 up - 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 3-6 1-6
W Bjorkman @ USO from a set down - 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-1
W Cilic @ DC from a set down 3-6 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-3

3-0 in 2008

W Eyserric @ RG from 2-1 down - 6-2 1-6 4-6 6-0 6-2
W Gasquet @ Wimby from 2 sets down - 5-7 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 6-4
W Melzer @ USO from 2 sets down - 6-7(5) 4-6 7-6(5) 6-1 6-3

1-1 in 2009

L Verdasco @ AO from 1-0 & 2-0 up - 6-2 1-6 6-1 3-6 4-6
W Wawrinka @ Wimby from a set down - 2-6 6-3 6-3 5-7 6-3

1-0 in 2010

W Gasquet @ RG from 2 sets down - 4-6 4-6(5) 6-4 6-2 6-1

Overall 10-5 including 4 from 2 sets down ... and 7-1 in the last 36 months

Tim · Intermediate Club Player

ANDY MURRRRAAAAYYYYY !!!!!!!

clayfan · Lower Club Player

Alley Ong-dee Moor-eh!

Liked Philwrig's comment about it never being in doubt. If only I had known that before expending all that nervous energy!
Andy did play much better than of late but there were times when he failed to nail home an advantage. Surely not nerves from the man of steel?
Still although Gasket has a history of blowing one, it was surely his Nice exertions on Saturday which really did for him. He has had to play every senior tournamnt he can enter to improve his ranking while the real contenders always rest the week before. A big advantage for Andy today. But he'll take the win. Chela up next.

clayfan · Lower Club Player

Incidently are there any bird twithchers here? I thought I heard Canaries, Robins, and the occassional Cuckoo. Have the French crowd learned any new bird noises? I absolutely love them!

Armchair · County player

Aw come on peeps. love him dearly. but this wasn't so much Andy winning as Gasquet losing. Andy looked a complete muppet for the first two sets and not a lot better for follwing three. Thrilled he won but not that impressed.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

I managed to watch the match, though I was half out of the door for the last game. . .

Very relieved to have got that one over. Gasquet's new-found determination was worrying me as I watched some of his win over Verdasco in Nice. The new coach's input maybe? A very dangerous opponent when his head is screwed on the right way. I have to admit it was a bit of a case of Muzza d. Quet - the Gas had vanished by the last set.

clayfan · Lower Club Player

He didn't look any sort of muppet for the first 2 sets. Both players played very well and it was very close with Gasquet hitting more outstanding winners than Andy. But he couldn't last the pace in the end.

gjr · Club Coach

steven wrote:

Discounting the Dubai 2009 w/o he gave to Gasquet which never got on court, Andy has now made it 20-0 v GEMs since that AO R1 loss to Tsonga.

Also, his 5-set record now reads:

1-2 in 2005

L Nalbandian @ Wimby from 2 sets up - 7-6(4) 6-1 0-6 4-6 1-6
W Pavel @ USO from 2-1 down - 6-3 3-6 3-6 6-1 6-4
L Clément @ USO - 2-6 6-7(2) 6-2 7-6(4) 0-6

2-1 in 2006

L Monfils @ RG from 2-1 up - 4-6 7-6(2) 6-1 2-6 1-6
W Ram @ DC from 2 sets down - 2-6 4-6 7-5 6-2 6-3
W Gonzalez @ USO from 1-2 down - 6-3 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-2

2-1 in 2007

L Nadal @ AO from 1-0 and 2-1 up - 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 3-6 1-6
W Bjorkman @ USO from a set down - 5-7 6-3 6-1 4-6 6-1
W Cilic @ DC from a set down 3-6 6-4 6-2 4-6 6-3

3-0 in 2008

W Eyserric @ RG from 2-1 down - 6-2 1-6 4-6 6-0 6-2
W Gasquet @ Wimby from 2 sets down - 5-7 3-6 7-6(3) 6-2 6-4
W Melzer @ USO from 2 sets down - 6-7(5) 4-6 7-6(5) 6-1 6-3

1-1 in 2009

L Verdasco @ AO from 1-0 & 2-0 up - 6-2 1-6 6-1 3-6 4-6
W Wawrinka @ Wimby from a set down - 2-6 6-3 6-3 5-7 6-3

1-0 in 2010

W Gasquet @ RG from 2 sets down - 4-6 4-6(5) 6-4 6-2 6-1

Overall 10-5 including 4 from 2 sets down ... and 7-1 in the last 36 months

I think we can discount at least the first 2. Andy was so young then and all the press was saying he'd never be able to win 5 set matches.

Nalbandian was in pretty good nick back in 2005 and was it the Clement match or the Pavel match that Andy threw up on court?

Don't remember the Monfills match but Andy wasn't much kop on clay back then.

The Nadal match was intense and Andy really could of won that one.

And as for the Verdasco match, I was there and it was a great match. I loved every minute of it even though Andy lost in the end. Probably should of won it but Verdasco played the tournament of his life.

---

Back to this match Gasquet played some brilliant stuff until he ran out of gas. Almost feel sorry for the bloke. If he carries on in this form it won't be long before he's back up with the big boys. And considering the grace and beauty of his backhand I can't wait.

philwrig · Hall of fame

A read of Andy's post match presser wouldn't fill you with too much confidence for the rest of the tournament.

Madeline · Admin:Moderator + Tennis Legend

philwrig wrote:

A read of Andy's post match presser wouldn't fill you with too much confidence for the rest of the tournament.

Why not? I can't see much wrong with it. http://www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/interviews/2010-05-24/201005251274779483662.html

Andy's next match tomorrow, third match on court 1. Court 1? "Now leesten, Mistair Mooray, you 'ave beat a Frenchman so in puneeshment we baneesh you to Court 1 for ze next match". . .

philwrig · Hall of fame

I just think he seemed worried about his knee and when asked about his chances against Chela he said if he felt good he would fancy his chances of getting the win. Suggesting to me that the exertions of playing a four hour match may have a lasting effect on him. He just seemed to be less positive than usual. That was my overriding impression.