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Gasquet: 'There Is Only One Roger Federer'

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

Richard Gasquet has lost against Roger Federer 18 times, and in their past 10 matches he has not won a set against the all-time great. But the Frenchman is still excited to get another chance to play the eight-time champion in the second round at Wimbledon.

“I’m playing for this. When I was in the first round, I saw the draw. I knew I could play Roger in the second round,” Gasquet told ATPTour.com. “Of course it’s wonderful for me, because I will play on Centre Court. It’s Roger Federer. I’ve played him many times. I’m practising for this.”

The 35-year-old has won 15 ATP Tour titles and earned nearly $19 million in prize money. He has achieved a lot of that because of his artistic style, so it speaks volumes that the Frenchman raves about the beauty of Federer’s game.

“He’s the best player of course. His technique is amazing. Sometimes we are talking a lot about the best player in history or something like that [and wonder] who will win the most Grand Slams,” Gasquet said. “But of course there are other things. There is technique, the beauty of the game, the motion. He’s a classic player, he’s an incredible player, the best player to watch. There is only one Roger Federer.”

Gasquet has not been at his best in recent years as he has struggled to stay healthy, most glaringly undergoing groin surgery two years ago. Once the No. 7 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings, he is still battling to earn chances like this against a legend.

“[I had] some injuries the past two years, so of course I’m just trying to be healthy, to do my best. I’m still focusing on the game, I really love it. That’s why I’m still playing,” Gasquet said. “I’m trying my best and it’s crazy for me to play against… Roger Federer. It’s a big chance for me to go there and try my best to play the best match and win.”

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Although Federer has dominated their ATP Head2Head rivalry in recent years, claiming their past 22 sets, Gasquet owns two victories against the 39-year-old Swiss. Both of those wins came in final-set tie-breaks on clay,  in Monte-Carlo in 2005 and in Rome 10 years ago.

Gasquet has enjoyed success on grass before, winning three of his tour-level titles on the surface. He has reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon twice, with Federer taking him out at that stage in 2007.

One thing the World No. 56 will take into the match is a recent experience against Rafael Nadal, who like Federer is a 20-time Grand Slam champion. The Frenchman played the Spanish lefty in the second round at Roland Garros and fell in straight sets. This time, he will try to flip the script on the London lawns.

“I’m still playing on big stages, I did at Roland Garros. I can do it again here on Centre Court,” Gasquet said. “Many years I didn’t play on it, so I’m very happy I can face him again. I’ll try my best to win.”

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Preview: Djokovic, Murray Shining Bright At Rainy Wimbledon

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

After two days of persistent rain, Day 3 at The Championships promises to be a hectic affair as first-round action continues and second rounds get underway at Wimbledon. Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray will hope to bring some rays of sunshine to fans as they headline the Centre Court schedule. 

Djokovic, the top seed and two-time defending champion, will face a familiar foe in the second round as he meets Kevin Anderson in the first match of the day. It will be the pair’s 12th tour-level match, with Djokovic going into the encounter with a 9-2 lead in their FedEx ATP Head2Head.

Two of their most memorable meetings took place at the All England Club. In 2015, Anderson  pushed eventual champion Djokovic to 6-7(6), 6-7(6), 6-1, 6-4, 7-5 in their Round of 16 battle, the only time in the tournament that Djokovic dropped sets before the final (d. Federer).

And of course three years later, they met on the biggest stage as they contested the 2018 championship match at Wimbledon. That time, Djokovic swept past the South African 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(3) to claim the title. 

“In the big moments and on the centre courts, he’s been there so many times. He has a lot of confidence and comfort in those situations as well,” Anderson said of facing Djokovic again on Centre Court. “And of course he’s a fighter. I’ve played some matches with him where it’s been really close and he is always not giving anything [away]. 

“It’s not going to be easy, but I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge.”

[TENNIS POINT]

Later in the day, two-time former champion Murray will close out Centre Court action as he faces German qualifier Oscar Otte, who is making his main draw debut at Wimbledon.  

Murray was tested in his opening match, but managed to win in four sets as he upset 24th seed Nikoloz Basilashvili in his first Wimbledon singles match since 2017. The resilient Brit sent a clear message after the victory: 

“I keep getting asked, ‘Is this going to be my last Wimbledon, last match?’ I don’t know why I keep getting asked about it,” Murray said on court. “No, I’m going to keep playing. I want to play… I can still play at the highest level. He’s ranked 28th in the world and I haven’t hardly played any matches and I beat him.”

 

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Also in action, fifth seed Andrey Rublev will take on Lloyd Harris on Court 18 as he seeks to reach the third round at Wimbledon for the first time. Frances Tiafoe, fresh off an upset over third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, will be in action on Court 5 as he hopes to keep the momentum going against Vasek Pospisil.

Elsewhere at the All England Club, there are five first-round singles matches to finish and 21 that have yet to start as second round action gets underway.

Gael Monfils, the 13th seed, will hope to get the job done as he leads Christopher O’Connell 4-6, 6-2, 7-6(5), 4-6, 3-2 in a rain-affected first-round encounter that is now entering its third day. Monfils got back on even terms at 4-6, 6-2 before darkness halted play on Monday, and managed two and a half more sets on Tuesday before matches were suspended due to rain.

View Wednesday’s Schedule | Listen To Radio Wimbledon | List Of Broadcasters (PDF)

Tournament organisers have also announced that men’s doubles, which was set to start on Wednesday, will not be scheduled for Day 3. The matches will be shortened from best-of-five sets to best-of-three sets for first and second rounds. 

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See You Wednesday… Kyrgios, Humbert Locked In Fifth Set

  • Posted: Jun 30, 2021

Nick Kyrgios is back. But fans will have to wait one more day to see if he will reach the second round at Wimbledon.

The inimitable 26-year-old has shown little rust after missing four months while staying home in Australia. But he has some work left to do against 21st seed Ugo Humbert, with their match suspended due to curfew at 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 3-3 after two hours and 43 minutes.

The pair met in the second round of this year’s Australian Open, where Kyrgios saved two match points against the lefty en route to a five-set victory after three hours and 25 minutes. This clash has been equally entertaining, with both men showing superb shotmaking while playing to the No.1 Court crowd.

Ugo Humbert
Photo Credit: AFP/Getty Images
Humbert won his first ATP 500 title just two weeks ago on grass in Halle, where he defeated Top 10 stars Alexander Zverev and Andrey Rublev en route to the title. In 2019, on his tournament debut, the Frenchman advanced to the fourth round at SW19.

Kyrgios, a 2014 quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, has made it to at least the Round of 16 at the grass-court major in three of his six previous appearances.

Three years ago, Kyrgios said in Brisbane that his game is “kind of like a tap. I can turn it on when I want to.” The Aussie proved that against Humbert. Despite not playing a match since his third-round loss against Dominic Thiem at the Australian Open and not competing on grass since Wimbledon in 2019, Kyrgios did not take long to find his rhythm. He promised the fans a show on social media when the draw came out, and the match has lived up to its billing.

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Humbert seized an early break, but Kyrgios fired right back with two consecutive breaks of his own to take control of the set, which he eventually won. The Aussie was clearly enjoying the moment, using a wide variety of shots — from his booming serve and powerful forehand to drop shots and the occasional tweener — to thrill the crowd.

But the Frenchman is in form, and he did not get distracted by the Kyrgios Show. Humbert stayed consistent and used his lefty serve to dominate the next two sets. World No. 60 Kyrgios found himself on the back foot in rallies, when he normally dictates play on the baseline. 

In a flash, Humbert took a two-sets-to-one lead and appeared on a path to a showdown against the winner of Juan Ignacio Londero and Gianluca Mager. But Kyrgios, who often complimented his opponent’s shots throughout the match, fought back, just like he did at his home Slam. 

The former World No. 13 took advantage of a Humbert double fault on break point to take the lead in the fourth set. And from there, he was able to tone down his shot selection enough — the tweeners and drop shots were not working well — to avoid giving the 21st seed a way to battle back into the set. Kyrgios crushed a laser-like backhand up the line to take a double-break advantage and surge into a deciding set.

Neither man has earned a break so far in the fifth, and they will return second on No. 1 Court to complete their duel. Kyrgios is 8-3 in five-setters and Humbert is 1-3.

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