Solid Schwartzman nets first win in four meetings with Gasquet

Diego Schwartzman secured his first victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet in four attempts, underlining his reputation as one of the tournament favourites with a 7-5, 6-3 victory.

Diego Schwartzman Cologne 2020

Fraser Masefield

November 4, 2020

Rolex Paris Masters second round

GASQUET d. SCHWARTZMAN (6) 7-5, 6-3
The key information: Gasquet’s low first serve percentage of just 64% left him vulnerable to the solid return game of his opponent
You will also learn: Schwartzman’s victory was his first in four meetings against the Frenchman
Why read this story: The Argentine is a genuine contender for the title as one of the form players of the moment and he edges closer to qualifying for the ATP Tour finals in London

Closing in on London ✌️@dieschwartzman zooms past Richard Gasquet and into round three in Paris, 7-5 6-3. #RolexParisMasters pic.twitter.com/4xImWuOTko

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 4, 2020

Gasquet came into the match with a 3-0 winning record against Schwartzman, all in straight sets, including the 2016 Antwerp final and, surprisingly the 2018 Monte Carlo Masters and most recently the 2019 Cincinnati Masters.

But it was the Argentine who pressured Gasquet to forge the early break at the first time of asking with a winning backhand up the line.

Speaking of backhands 👀

This one from @dieschwartzman is just perfect. #RolexParisMastesr pic.twitter.com/WwwTpKXNHD

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) November 4, 2020

Gasquet has endured back problems in the past and it looked like he wasn’t rotating fully on that usually lethal backhand. He was also 10km down on his service speed from the Fritz match. Yet after Schwartzman threw in a couple of uncharacteristic errors, Gasquet was suddenly back in the match, drawing level at 4-4.

With the set seemingly headed for a tie break, it was Schwartzman who struck at the crucial moment, however, as the Gasquet unforced error count grew, the Frenchman hitting long and conceding the opener.

A run of four successive games saw the Argentine open up a 3-0 second set lead, and that single break of serve proved sufficient for Schwartzman seal his first victory over Gasquet and a third round meeting with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.