Gasquet Battles Back From The Brink In ‘s-Hertogenbosch

Defending champion Richard Gasquet came back from the brink of defeat on Tuesday to advance to the Libema Open second round. The eighth-seeded Frenchman withstood 21 aces from the racquet of Slovenia’s Aljaz Bedene, who led by a set and was at 5/5 in the second set tie-break, to complete a 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-4 victory in two hours and 26 minutes.

Former World No. 7 Gasquet, who celebrates his 33rd birthday next Tuesday, will next play Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan. Kukushkin came back to defeat Italian Lorenzo Sonego 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Fifth-seeded Belgian David Goffin won the first seven games against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, a Spanish qualifier, in a 6-0, 6-2 win over 48 minutes. The 2015 ‘s-Hertogenbosch semi-finalist will now prepare to face France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, who was a 6-4, 7-5 winner over 2018 semi-finalist Matthew Ebden of Australia in 82 minutes.

Andreas Seppi battled to a 7-6(10), 7-5 win over fellow Italian Thomas Fabbiano in one hour and 58 minutes. Seppi saved two set points at 7/8 and 9/10 in the first set tie-break and came within one point of trailing 1-4 in the second set. He now faces third-seeded Australian Alex de Minaur.

Meanwhile, Chile’s Nicolas Jarry will play top seed Stefanos Tsitsipas after a 7-6(4), 6-3 win over Italian qualifier Jannik Sinner in 81 minutes and Frenchman Adrian Mannarino will meet No. 4 seed Fernando Verdasco after dismissing Dutch wild card Thiemo de Bakker 6-2, 6-1.