Rolex Paris Masters – For his act II in Paris, Gaston has matured well: “I know that I am in my place”

Autumn in the capital suits him so well. With his meter 73 and his 68 kilos, Hugo Gaston does not look like much, and yet… The Parisian public discovered it last year during an edition of Roland-Garros exceptionally postponed to the end of September-beginning of October, coronavirus pandemic obliges. Despite his modest 239th place in the world, he had set the Porte d’Auteuil on fire over his exploits (notably a victory against Stan Wawrinka in the 3rd round) before giving up arms in hand in five sets against Dominic Thiem in the round of 16 .

A beautiful story, a David against Goliath in tennis sauce, but perhaps without a future, we wondered then. But this week in a packed Accor Arena, Gaston provided the most beautiful answer: no, he’s not just flash in the pan. By coming out of qualifying – with match points saved in the first round against Kevin Anderson – and by overthrowing his opponents one by one with his third career Top 20 pinned, Pablo Carreno Busta, as a bonus (after Wawrinka and Cristian Garin in Gstaad last July), the native of Toulouse is now guaranteed to appear in the Top 100 (provisional 80th) and to win a direct sesame for the Australian Open 2022.

A place in the Top 100 and in Melbourne guaranteed: the reward of humility and hard work

Surely, he crossed the important stages of his young career. And if he collapsed on his back after leaving the 17th Spanish world, Gaston is no longer as incredulous as he was during his first Parisian adventure. “It’s other conditions. It is not the same surface. I have progressed in the standings, so I know that I am in my place, I know that I am playing very well. Afterwards, it is true that it is a very good performance to beat Carreno Busta. But compare that to Roland, I wouldn’t go that far anyway“, estimated the person after his qualification in the round of 16.

And for good reason, this time, the performance validates a year of work and perseverance. Because after the intoxication of the Porte d’Auteuil, Gaston had to regain the anonymity of the secondary circuit to make his hole, with method and rigor. This season, he has played 18 Challengers, reaching four clay finals each time lost (Rome, Iasi, Tulln and Barcelona), including 7 in a row since Flushing in recent weeks. Eliminated in qualifying for the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open and from the 1st round at Roland Garros where he was invited for obvious reasons, he did not shine in Grand Slam, but was made the teeth on the smaller tournaments and multiplied the matches in competition.

Changes in pace, endurance and slow surface: the keys to success

In one of his rare appearances on the tour, he reached the first ATP final of his career in Gstaad (beaten by Casper Ruud), confirming that his tactical tennis and touchdown were taking its toll on ocher. But more and more confident, he has proven in recent days that he can also thrive on hard, despite his lack of power. With his timing and changes of pace, as well as his speed of movement, the 21-year-old, like a small moped, managed to take his rivals to his field: a game of chess where physical endurance and mental premium.

“He makes very few mistakes, doesn’t give a lot of points, he varies a lot. When the opponent enters the field with a lot of energy, he manages to thwart this strategy. But gradually, physically it decreases a little bit, he starts to make some mistakes, Hugo begins to reverse the trend, to be more aggressive and gradually, the player opposite finds himself with zero solutions.“, explains his coach Marc Barbier. And the strategy is all the more profitable as the courts seem slower than usual at Bercy this year.

However, these technical and tactical elements, although very relevant, do not explain everything. Being as comfortable in environments as impressive and majestic as the Philippe-Chatrier court at Roland Garros or the Accor Arena is not for everyone, especially at this age and when you don’t have one. the habit. But Gaston seems made for these great scenes, they sublimate him and allowed him to forget the pain despite already more than nine and a half hours spent fighting during his four victories over players better classified than him.

“I am amazed at his ability to repeat such intense efforts day after day, and on a psychological level it is still strong what he does. Each time, these are extremely tense matches, against great players and in the end, it is he who wins, in the third set, in an incredible showdown. It goes beyond the racket, it’s also the emotional side that he manages to totally master“, confirms Marc Barbier, also amazed by his protégé.

Gaston also knows how to play with the public: the soul of Bercy the sublime

“I played with the public quite a bit. The spectators responded very well and it is also thanks to them that I won. I want to make them live the match too. It also helps me to play well. So I’m going to keep using it because it’s something I love, and if it makes everyone proud, I’m very happy“, has also confirmed the main interested party. If he had to digest Roland and arrived exhausted, the closed session had not helped him to succeed in his first Bercy last year already against Carreno Busta.

Will he still have enough energy to afford a Carlos Alcaraz in full swing in a duel of young talents on Thursday? The equation seems all the more difficult to solve as the already very reliable Spaniard has spent less energy on the court in recent days. But Gaston, who will play the Masters Next Gen in the wake of Bercy, will not present himself as an expiatory victim, this is not his type.

“I’m going to have to rest to be in good shape for my next game. I did something really good, but I don’t intend to stop here“, he said. One thing is certain: if the legs are missing, the head will not fail. And that is perhaps what is most interesting for the future.