End clap for the French at Wimbledon in the men’s draw. Last tricolor engaged, Richard Gasquet, number 69 at the ATP, lost to the Dutchman and seeded number 21 Botic Van de Zandschulp in four sets (7-5/2-6/7-6/6-1 ).
The Biterrois risks rehashing the first round of this game where he had quickly taken the lead even leading 5-2 after a few minutes. But the tricolor was unable to conclude despite several set points in his favor. Without panicking, the Dutchman finally came back up before taking the lead to win the set 7-5. Despite this big power cut, Richard Gasquet recovered well in the second race which he largely dominated. At 3-2, on Van de Zandschulp’s serve, he breaks the Dutchman and manages to create a gap that the seeded number 21 will never be able to fill. Gasquet wins 6-2 and completely restarts the game.
A set point in the third set, before the collapse
The third set is hotly contested despite a first break conceded from the start by the Frenchman who manages to regain the service of his opponent quickly enough to come back to 2-2. Subsequently, the two players keep their serve in turn until the tie-break, again very tight, where Richard Gasquet gets a set point that he does not convert. The decisive game is finally won by the Dutchman, Gasquet will never recover. The former world number 7 completely cracked in the last round which he let go in just over 20 minutes (6-1).
The course ends there therefore for Richard Gasquet who will not see the second week of Wimbledon where he had reached the last four in 2007 and 2015. The men’s draw is now orphaned by all its French after the elimination of Ugo Humbert on Friday against the Belgian David Goffin. The hopes of blue white red tennis now turn to Alizée Cornet, who challenges world number 1 Iga Swiatek this Saturday, Harmony Tan and Caroline Garcia, already qualified in the 1/8th finals.