What if “Richie” did it? What if with yet another setback Gasquet erased the disappointments of the day? First for the duration of a set then a feverish tie-break, we believed it. To better disillusion… This Monday, the 37-year-old Frenchman first led 6-0 against the 12th in the world. A bubble, a real one. Suffice to say that the Accor Arena was enjoying itself as it should be. And then, nothing, or almost nothing. The American inevitably resumed his march forward. Impeccable on the serve, intractable on the forehand, Paul stifled his opponent and thought he would qualify before an improbable and incredible comeback.
The match could then have gone one way or another. The stands had chosen theirs, of course, but it was not enough despite a lot of effort, we assure you. “You play for atmospheres like this. That’s why I continued this season. I had ups and downs but I still managed to have fun quite a few times (…) It was by far the best atmosphere of the year,” the left-hander savored, which unfortunately ended up breaking in the last game of the game (0-6, 6-2, 7-6)… after having redacted three match points.
Richie lost, but Richie made us VIBRATE!
Trailing 5-2 double break in the 3rd, Gasquet, boosted by the crowd, came back. To the point of having three BDMs at 6-3 in the tie-break, before giving in 0-6 6-2 7-6⁶ against Paul.
Thanks for the emotions, Richie ????pic.twitter.com/SQyzi0wHOg
— We Are Tennis France (@WeAreTennisFR) October 30, 2023
Bizarre match for this first day which did not smile at all on the French. Four ammo, four bullets lost in the first round. The French public can measure at regular intervals everything that is still missing from their pool to dream of better days… which does not prevent them from still experiencing beautiful emotions. We console ourselves a little.
The big disappointment Mannarino, Van Assche too tender
Let’s start with the French number one, definitely angry with Bercy. For the sixth time in a row, Adrian Mannarino disappears in the first round. This time, the executioner was called Botic Van De Zandschulp, a 28-year-old Dutchman (60th in the world), not really a lightning bolt but a player solid enough to trap another without feeling (6-4, 7-5) . The 25th in the world was repeatedly annoyed by all his unforced errors, going so far as to break a racket. A frail hope took hold of the center court at the end of the second set when the left-hander broke. He even had the opportunity to take the advantage four times just after, but without success, taken back by a crippling waste.
“I missed a lot of things, my service level wasn’t good enough, I didn’t manage to take the advantage with my forehand. Looking back, it was a bad match, I missed everything a bit (…) I think it’s one of the first poor performances I’ve had here. I am very frustrated and very disappointed to lose in the first round,” lamented the person concerned.
Van Assche continues to learn
The cadet Luca Van Assche (69th in the world) may have more regrets. The 19-year-old hopeful, beneficiary of a wild card, fought for more than two and a half hours (2h41) but ended up giving in to Serbian Laslo Djere (34th). This closed and nervous match (7-6 (8), 4-6, 4-6) gradually escaped him despite the victory of the first set which seemed to have freed him. But victim of a big air gap after leading 3-0, losing 4-6. The last round was just as close. Djere notably escaped miraculously to get back to four everywhere. A twist of fate which woke him up and allowed him to disgust a too tense and beaten Van Assche with a last ace. The winner of Roland-Garros junior in 2021 can only learn in these kinds of days, he who is still chasing a first victory in Masters 1000.
This dark day began with the defeat of Alexandre Muller. The native of Poissy logically lost to the Russian Roman Safiullin (7-6 (7), 6-3), who will have the difficult task of facing Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday evening. Benjamin Bonzi, Arthur Fils, Ugo Humbert, Gaël Monfils will also enter the running.
