Richard Gasquet achieved his first win of the season in Doha, defeating Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 6-4 in a total of 89 minutes. This victory marks Gasquet’s 23rd consecutive season with an ATP win, matching Rafael Nadal and bringing him closer to Roger Federer’s record of 24.
Gasquet began the season with four consecutive losses in Auckland, the Australian Open, Montpellier, and Marseille. However, he bounced back by reaching the final in the Manama Challenger last week and carrying that momentum into Doha. Despite turning 38 in June, Gasquet’s passion for tennis remains strong, especially after experiencing a drop in rankings outside the top-100 for the first time since April 2005.
Gasquet, who belongs to the same generation as Rafael Nadal, started making a name for himself in 2002 and earned his first ATP wild cards. His first ATP win came in Monte Carlo in 2002, where he defeated Franco Squillari 7-6, 3-6, 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 24 minutes. Gasquet was only 15 years old at the time.
From 2003 onwards, Gasquet continued to accumulate ATP wins and steadily improved his game. Despite starting the 2005 season ranked outside the top-150, he managed to finish the year in the top-15. Gasquet’s remarkable consistency allowed him to spend an impressive 956 consecutive weeks in the top-100, despite facing setbacks due to injuries.
In 2022, Gasquet achieved 26 wins and finished the year ranked in the top-70, ensuring another year-end top-100 season. He started the 2023 season on a high note by winning the Auckland title against Cameron Norrie, marking his first trophy since June 2018. However, his form declined afterward, and he struggled to win consecutive matches until May. As a result, Gasquet lost his top-50 status and ended the year with five consecutive losses.
At the beginning of 2024, Gasquet needed a deep run in Auckland to maintain his top-100 ranking. Unfortunately, he was unable to achieve this and suffered a first-round defeat against his compatriot Arthur Fils, resulting in a loss of 250 ATP points and the end of his top-100 journey.
However, Gasquet turned things around in Doha this week, displaying strong performance and securing an ATP win for the 23rd consecutive season. He outperformed Shevchenko in terms of first and second serves, successfully defending both break points and converting one break opportunity in each set out of a total of seven.
The former champion won the second game of the match without losing a point and capitalized on the fourth opportunity to break serve at 1-1 after a long rally and an error from Shevchenko’s forehand.
Gasquet hit a brilliant backhand winner down the line in the fourth game, holding his serve comfortably and solidifying his advantage. He saved a break point in the sixth game with an impressive serve and volley combination, holding for a 4-2 lead. The experienced player won the eighth game without dropping a point and served for the first set at 5-4.
Gasquet forced his opponent into making an error, wrapping up the first set in 39 minutes and hoping for continued success in the second set. Alexandre made a forehand mistake in the opening game, losing his serve and bringing his rival closer to victory. The Frenchman saved a break point in the second game with a forehand winner across the court and took a 3-1 lead after a tough game four that included a winning volley at the net.
Gasquet held his serve at 15 in the sixth game with a forehand winner and extended his advantage to 5-3 following another forehand error from Shevchenko in the eighth game. The Kazakh player faced two match points while serving in the ninth game but managed to save them, prolonging the battle.
However, Richard didn’t let those missed opportunities affect him, as he hit a backhand winner at 5-4 to secure the victory and celebrate his first win of the season.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org