Montpellier Open | Local favourite Richard Gasquet upsets David Goffin to enter final
Richard Gasquet made a stunning comeback after a second-set meltdown to beat top-seeded David Goffin 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 in the semifinals of the Open Sud de France on Saturday. In doing so, Gasquet set up an all-French final against compatriot Lucas Pouille that will take place on Saturday.
French tennis player Richard Gasquet has had an extremely pleasing week as he managed to make it to his sixth-straight final at the Open Sud de France this year. The 31-year-old previously beat Daniil Medvedev, Pierre-Hugues Herbert, and Damir Dzumhur as he admitted that he has beaten 'four good players in four matches this year.â
The World No. 33 surprised top-seeded Belgian David Goffin in the semi-finals 6-4 0-6 6-3. Gasquet, born in neighbouring town Beziers, was strong in the first set but suffered a dip in focus in the second as the World No. 7 improved his game. The Frenchman, however, broke expertly in the seventh game of the third set and repeated that in the ninth to seal the win.
"David is one of the best at the moment. He's ranked seventh in the world, so it's a great victory for me. Even though it's not a final, this is probably my best win here. To find myself in the final for the sixth straight time is just incredible, Now I need to recover properly to play a great final," said Gasquet reported Reuters.
Gasquet has previously won the Montpellier Open in 2013, 2015 and 2016. It is set to be an all-French final in France as Gasquet will collide with compatriot Lucas Pouille, who reached the finals after semifinal opponent Jo Wilfried Tsonga was forced to retire from their match while being 6-1 5-5 as he feared he had torn a hamstring.
Gasquet is aiming for the 15th ATP title of his tennis career, while Pouille will be aiming for his fifth. The latter leads Gasquet 3-1 in their career head-to-head matches and has won thrice in a row now. However, âlocal boy Gasquetâ still remains the favourite to lift the trophy.
