Zverev Upsets Home Favourite In Montpellier

Richard Gasquet stayed perfect against countryman Benoit Paire and will go for his fourth Open Sud de France title on Sunday. The 30-year-old Gasquet needed only 68 minutes to get past Paire on Saturday, 6-2, 6-2. Gasquet now leads their FedEx ATP Head2Head series 4-0.

He will face #NextGenATP star Alexander Zverev, who beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7(6), 6-2, 6-4 to reach his fourth career ATP World Tour final. Gasquet won the Montpellier title in 2013 and again in 2015 and 2016. He’s now 20-3 in Montpellier.

“I [have] never lost against [Paire] but every match is different. It could have happened today because he’s a great player,” Gasquet said. “I’m happy I won. I played really well, didn’t make any mistakes. Every point was difficult, I made him play, I served well. Overall it was a solid match.”

Zverev came back from a set down to battle past Tsonga in a physical contest that lasted two hours and 20 minutes. Zverev erased a break point and held to start the third set, and another break point didn’t surface until Tsonga slapped a sitting forehand wide while serving at 30/30, 4-5. The Frenchman sailed a backhand long on Zverev’s match point.

The 19-year-old German will go for his second ATP World Tour title. He beat Stan Wawrinka last September to win the St. Petersburg Open, which was also played indoors like the Open Sud de France.

More: Zverev Beats Wawrinka For First Title