Tennis Acumen

Richard Gasquet Achieves Personal Best in Cincinnati in 2019

PETE ZIEBRON

Richard Gasquet addresses the media in Cincinnati.  Pete Ziebron Images

 

"When I was a teenager. I was number 7 in the world.....But for sure, physically, the game is bigger now. It's much tougher than before. The physical condition is high-level now, more than when I started in 2005. It's more difficult."  

 

R1 d. Murray 6-4 6-4

R2 d. Delbonis 7-5 7-6(1)

R3 d. Schwartzman 7-6(6) 6-3

QF d. Bautista Agut 7-6(2) 3-6 6-2

SF l. Goffin 3-6 4-6 

 

Richard Gasquet first played at the Western & Southern Open in 2005.  After winning his very first match in Cincinnati fourteen years ago, he dropped three in a row and would not win again in Cincinnati until 2008.  His best result prior to this year's run to the semifinals was a berth in the quarters in 2015, when world #2 Andy Murray ended his run in a three set tussle.

This year, the Frenchman drew Murray in the first round, but this was hardly the Andy Murray you’d have hoped for. Murray walked on court burdened by recent surgery.  He had not played an ATP singles match since January.  That said, Gasquet had lost their previous five matches and had not beaten Murray since 2012 in Rome.  "Yeah, of course I knew maybe was the favorite of the match, but, you know, it's still Andy."  Gasquet stayed the course and prevailed with a straight set victory.

Next up, Gasquet dispatched Argentine Federico Delbonis in straight sets in just under two hours.  His reward for the win, a matchup against another Argentine, this time Diego Schwartzman.  Again, the Frenchman would win in straight sets, and matched his personal best in Cincinnati, a berth in the quarters.  Despite trailing in the first set tiebreaker against Schwartzman, Gasquet won the tiebreaker and opening set.  "He was leading 6-4 in the tiebreak. Yeah, it was the key of match to win this set, because it was a one-hour-long set, physically very difficult.  Yeah, I feel more confident winning it and then I could break him to start the second set at 3-0."  

Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut was next. Gasquet had defeated him just once in five meetings.  Ironically, the two had already played twice in 2019, Bautista Agut winning both in straight sets, in Halle, and just the previous week in Montreal.  Gasquet took the opening set in a tiebreaker to extend his run to seven consecutive sets.  Despite dropping the second set, he steadied his game and rolled in the final set, 6-2, to advance to the Semis.  "I knew if I wanted to win I had to put a lot of energy in the start of the third. Yeah, I managed to do it. I served better. It was a great third set.  I played faster. I tried to start well. I ran well. It was a great third set."

On to the semis. In over a decade on tour, Gasquet and David Goffin had only played twice, splitting those matches.  Goffin won the opening set, 6-3. After falling behind 0-2 in the second, Goffin quickly corrected course and won six of the last eight games to advance to the final.  

On to New York. Richard Gasquet would have been seeded at the US Open, had players with no intention of participating withdrawn early enough.  They did not, so Gasquet was unseeded. He drew a seeded player, the red hot Italian Matteo Berrettini, in the opening round in New York and lost in four sets.

Coming back to the ATP Tour in Madrid in May this year after surgery, Gasquet elaborated on his return:  "Yeah, after surgery you never know if you're gonna come back or not. You know, -- mentally it's tough. Physically, after this, it's very difficult to come back on the court, especially to play on a high level...  It's very demanding.  Now I'm feeling good, so of course -- yeah, I fought a lot all the year to come back, so now I'm feeling great. I'm feeling better."

Gasquet arrived in Cincinnati with an 11-9 record.  He departed with his best ever showing in Cincinnati.

Dayana Yastremska - Cincinnati Observations

PETE ZIEBRON

Reflections on the 2019 Western & Southern Open tennis tournament in Cincinnati

Dayana Yastremska in action in Cincinnati.  Pete Ziebron Images 

"So, if it's, like, tight moments in the match, well, I try to keep myself calm. But same time, I try to be aggressive." - Dayana Yastremska   

Cincinnati

R1 d. Wozniacki 6-4 6-4

R2 l.  Kuznetsova 6-4 6-7(7) 2-6

It was 2016, the Wimbledon Junior Girls Final. That was my first look at Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska, bested by Russian Anastasia Potapova, 6-4 6-3.  The match intrigued me, and I decided to follow them both.  The following February, I saw Potapova play twice at the Surprise, Arizona ITF tournament.  However, it wasn’t until this August that I saw Yastremska again. In the meantime, Yastremska and Potapova have teamed to play doubles, including this year at Wimbledon.  

Yastremska drew Caroline Wozniacki in her opening match in Cincinnati. In 2011, Wozniacki reached #1 in the world, and has 30 career titles to her name. The 19-year-old Ukrainian won the opening set 6-4. Despite Yastremska hitting eight double faults in the set, both players were competing at a high level once the ball was in play on Grandstand Court. .  Yastremska has a very powerful forehand, and Wozniacki was struggling with the pace.  

Concurrently, I noticed Yastremska shuffling her feet when Wozniacki tossed the ball to serve, unnerving the veteran Dane.  In addition, Yastremska was not playing to the server's pace, wandering well behind the baseline when Wozniacki was ready to serve.  A colleague later told me that these are tactics that Yastremska has employed all the way back to the juniors. Wozniacki complained to the Chair, then turned toward her box and disgustedly said "Bullshit.  F___ing bullshit."  

There’s nothing quite as effective as getting in an opponent’s head. Actually, Rafael Nadal used similar stalling tactics in the fifth set of the 2019 US Open Men’s Final against Daniil Medvedev, causing the Russian to go to the Chair and ask why Nadal was not ready to play at the server’s pace.  Medvedev was most likely thinking what Wozniacki actually said, but he simply pleaded: "Ali, every serve I have to wait. Every time I have to wait."

Sure enough, Wozniacki was broken in the very next game. Now at four-all, Yastremska opened with three consecutive aces and won the game at 15.  Now, Wozniacki served to stay in the match. Still rattled, she quickly fell behind love-40, won a point and then bowed out. Yastremska would end up winning thirteen of the last sixteen points of the match. 

Next up was veteran Russian and two-time major Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. 

On intimate Court 10, Yastremska would take the opening set 6-4 as both players battled through a warm and humid afternoon in southern Ohio.  The Ukrainian would have her chances to win in straight sets, but dropped the second set breaker 9-7.  

Early in the third set, Yastremska tired, and struggled with her movement. She was simply not the same player.  As a result, Kuznetsova cruised to win the final set 6-2.  Kuznetsova would eventually reach the Cincinnati final, losing to American Madison Keys.

Leaving Cincinnati, Yastremska did well in New York, reaching the third round of the US Open, losing to countrywoman Elina Svitolina, 6-2 6-0.  

What to watch with Yastremska going forward:  Powerful forehand and continued success winning matches over former Major Champions (2019 wins include: Stosur, Muguruza, Azarenka, Wozniacki)