Gasquet’s last Monte-Carlo Masters ends with brave defeat to Altmaier
The Frenchman, who will retire from the sport next month, came from 5-3 down in the second set to force a decider but ran out of steam in the end
Chryslene Caillaud / Psnewz
Richard Gasquet’s last-ever Monte-Carlo Masters run came to an end on Wednesday as he was worn down in three sets by German qualifier Daniel Altmaier, beaten 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 in the second round at the Monte-Carlo Country Club
Twenty-three years after his debut in Monte-Carlo as a 15-year-old and at a place where he beat Roger Federer as a 19-year-old in 2005, Gasquet, who will retire after Roland-Garros next month, thrilled the crowd with a strong end to the second set, coming from 5-3 down and winning 13 of the last 15 points.
But Altmaier had more left in the tank and he pulled away in the decider to set up a clash with either Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo or Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
The German defeated Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, the No 16 seed (7-6 (5), 6-3) ahead of his victory.
In the previous round of the Monte-Carlo tournament, Gasquet, ranked No 164, edged out Italian Matteo Arnaldi (6-3, 4-6, 6-4).
Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, other second-round results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 6.128.940, most recent results first):
- Daniil Medvedev vs. Alexandre Muller
- Valentin Vacherot vs. Grigor Dimitrov
- Frances Tiafoe vs. Alexei Popyrin
- Tomas Machac vs. Alex De Minaur
- Francisco Cerundolo vs. Carlos Alcaraz
- Roberto Bautista Agut vs. Casper Ruud
- Novak Djokovic vs. Alejandro Tabilo
- Andrey Rublev vs. Gael Monfils: wednesday
- Flavio Cobolli vs. Arthur Fils: wednesday
- Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry: 7-6 (2), 6-3
- Nuno Borges vs. Pedro Martinez Portero: wednesday
- Lorenzo Musetti (13) beat Jiri Lehecka: 1-6, 7-5, 6-2
- Jack Draper (5) beat Marcos Giron: 6-1, 6-1
- Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) beat Jordan Thompson: 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
- Matteo Berrettini beat Alexander Zverev (1): 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
