It is by taking a side step towards the Challenger circuit that Richard Gasquet has just won four victories in a row. Entered at the ATP 125 in Manama, Bahrain, the former world No. 7, who fell to 130th place in the ATP rankings, qualified for the final on Friday by dominating the Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, today 160th but 23rd at its best, six years ago.
Previously, Gasquet had faced players with pedigrees as different as the Swiss left-hander Marc-Andrea Huesler, 199th but top 50 last year (7-6, 7-6), the Italian Peter Buldorini, 1123rd in the world and from qualifying (7-5, 6-3) and the British Billy Harris, 29 years old, 191st, his record (5-7, 6-1, 6-2).
If successful, Saturday, in the final, against another veteran, the Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin (36 years old, 231st but 39th five years ago), Richard Gasquet will pocket the 125 points promised to the winner of the tournament, which would bring him back to the doors of the top 100 (107th or 108th). Next week, the 37-year-old from Biterrois will benefit from a wild card at the ATP 250 in another Emirate, in Doha.
2024-02-16 16:59:31
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