Gasquet Hopes To Regain Top Form In Winston-Salem

During his first visit to Winston-Salem, Frenchman Richard Gasquet will try to achieve what his fellow countrymen have been unable to do during their debut years at the tournament. Gasquet, the top seed, will try to win the title and gain his second ATP World Tour title of the season.

In 2011, the first year of the tournament, Julien Benneteau started the tradition of French players coming to Winston-Salem. Benneteau qualified and reached the final before falling to American John Isner. In 2012, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga reached the semi-finals before also losing to eventual champion Isner.

The next year, 15^th seed Gael Monfils retired in the final against Austrian Jurgen Melzer down 6-3, 2-1. Top seed Gilles Simon bowed out in the second round to Brit Aljaz Bedene last year.

“They all told me it’s a very nice tournament to play,” Gasquet said of his French buddies.

Tournament director Bill Oakes said having Benneteau and Tsonga play at the tournament in its early years was key to bringing more French players to the tournament.

“The rest of the French players saw that I think that really made it easier for them to understand how we take care of the guys here,” Oakes said. “I think our fans have really appreciated all of them and really enjoyed watching them play.”

Gasquet isn’t quite thinking about one-upping his countrymen, though; the 30 year old is simply craving more matches. He retired after six games because of a back injury during his fourth-round match at Wimbledon and had to miss the next five weeks trying to recover.

Gasquet returned to the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last week and prevailed past countryman Adrian Mannarino 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-1. But he fell in the second round to South African Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-4.

“That’s why it’s important for me to be here. I didn’t play so much – just two matches in Cincinnati, so I need to play,” Gasquet told ATPWorldTour.com.

Before his injury, the 15-year ATP World Tour veteran had been enjoying another consistent season.

In February, Gasquet won his 13^th career title and his third consecutive at the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. In May, during his 13^th time playing Roland Garros, the Frenchman reached the quarter-finals for the first time. He succumbed to eventual finalist Andy Murray in four sets.

Gasquet is hoping to regain that form in North Carolina. He faces Brit Daniel Evans for the first time on Monday evening. The 26-year-old Evans won his first-round match in Winston-Salem and reached a career high of No. 60 in the Emirates ATP Rankings last week.

“It’s always difficult to stop for such a long time [and] come back,” Gasquet said. “I’m feeling better. I have no more injuries… Now I need to practise and play more matches.”