French tennis player Richard Gasquet, 36, won the Auckland tournament early this Saturdayin New Zealand, by beating the British Cameron Norrie 4-6, 6-4 and 6-4.
The veteran French player broke a five-year drought without winning a title in a tournament that is always taken as preparation for the Australian Open, which begins next Monday in Melbourne.
Gasquet, ranked 67th in the ATP ranking, was facing number 12 in the ranking, who arrived undefeated in this 2023 and with prestigious victories against the Spanish Rafael Nadal or the American Taylor Fritz.
On the other hand, Norrie seemed to have the final almost won in the second set, when he had three break points to go up 4-0.
Nevertheless, Gasquet saved the day, breaking serve twice and finishing the nearly three-hour match in better shape than his 27-year-old rival.
