Gasquet wins on final Metz appearance: 'It's where it all started'

  • Posted: Nov 04, 2024

It felt as if it was a full-circle moment for Richard Gasquet on Monday at the Moselle Open.

The 38-year-old, who made the first of his 33 ATP Tour finals in Metz, secured a thrilling opening-round comeback against Thiago Monteiro to stay alive in his final campaign at the tournament. Gasquet saved a match point to prevail 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(6) and record his first tour-level win since May.

“It’s important for me to play here, it’s the last time I’m playing in Metz, so I want to do well,” said Gasquet, who is retiring at the conclusion of Roland Garros 2025. “It’s a big honour for me [to receive a wild card].

“I am really happy with the way I played, the way I felt, so it’s a big win for me. Everything started here [in Metz]. It’s where I reached my first ATP Tour final. I have great memories playing here, so I am really happy with the way I played today.”

Gasquet, the former No. 7 in the PIF ATP Rankings, produced a clinical performance on serve throughout the match. The wild card, however, was particularly dialled in during the final set, during which he won 19 out of 20 points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

After improving to 16-10 in Metz, Gasquet will face #NextGenATP star Alex Michelsen in the second round.

Elsewhere, Cameron Norrie battled from the brink of defeat to record his first tour-level win since July. The 29-year-old trailed a break in the deciding set, but dug deep for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Roberto Carballes Baena.

“I was happy with the way I turned it around, it’s nice to get a win after my injury,” said Norrie who picked up a forearm injury that kept him out of the Olympics and the North American hard-court swing.

“He fought really hard today, he’s a great competitor. I managed to get a little bit lucky in the third set, and I had some good support. It was nice to get over the line in the end.”

Norrie, who is just the second British singles player in Metz tournament history (Andy Murray, 2007 & 2021), will next face third seed Grigor Dimitrov.

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On a day of French success, lucky loser Pierre-Hugues Herbert stood firm to defeat sixth seed Pedro Martinez 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(4). The 33-year-old’s triumph in the pair’s maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head series was his first tour-level win since reaching the semi-finals in Metz as a wild card in 2023.

Aiming to emulate that success, Herbert will next battle countryman Quentin Halys in the second round.

Seventh seed Jan-Lennard Struff got his campaign underway with an inspired comeback triumph against Alexander Shevchenko. The German trailed by a set and 3-0, but dug deep for a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win, setting up a second-round clash with Corentin Moutet.

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