Andy Murray vs. Richard Gasquet – Fourth Round Preview: Wimbledon Championships 2011
Local favourite Andy Murray, ranked 4th in the world, will face world number 13 Richard Gasquet of France for a spot in the quarterfinals at the Wimbledon Championships at All England Club in London on Monday.
The Brit overcame the challenge of former world number 3 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia in four tough sets 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(4) to reach the fourth round. In comparison, Gasquet had a smooth sailing as he thrashed Italian Simone Bolelli
in straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the third round. The Frenchman has not lost even a single set on the road to round of 16.
Murray and Gasquet will be meeting for the fifth time. They are tied at 2-2 in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series.
The Brit was victorious in the last two meeting between these two. The 24-year-old staged a comeback from a two sets deficit to beat Gasquet in five sets 4-6, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-2, 6-1 when these two met for the last time in the round
of 128 at the French Open in 2010. In their only previous meeting at the SW19, Murray once again fought back from two sets to love down to overpower the Frenchman in five sets 5-7, 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, 6-4 in the round of 16 in 2008.
The first two meetings between Murray and Gasquet were won by the French. Gasquet defeated the Brit in three sets 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 in the quarterfinals at the BNP Paribas Masters in 2007. In their first meeting, the French thrashed
Murray in straight sets 6-2, 7-5 in the semi-finals of Rogers Cup in 2006.
The Brit has a 22-5 win/loss record at the Wimbledon Championships. The fourth seed is a two time semi-finalist at the SW19. He lost to Andy Roddick of USA in a four set thriller 4-6, 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-7(5) in the semi-finals in 2009.
Last year, the right-hander was dismissed by eventual champion Rafael Nadal of Spain in straight sets 4-6, 6-7(6), 4-6 again in the semi-finals.
While, Gasquet has won eleven of the sixteen matches he has played at the Wimbledon Championships. The Frenchman was defeated by Murray in five sets 7-5, 6-3, 6-7(3), 2-6, 4-6 in the fourth round in 2008. The 25-year-old showed
his best performance in 2007, when he reached the semi-finals, losing to then world number 1 and eventual champion Roger Federer of Switzerland in straight sets 5-7, 3-6, 4-6. In his first appearance at the SW19, Gasquet was beaten by Danish Kenneth Carlsen
in five sets 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-7(4), 7-6(0), 4-6 in the opening round in 2004.
Murray, a three time grand slam finalist, is in good form these days. The London resident, fresh after claiming the warm up event at the Queen’s Club, is looking to become the first Brit to clinch the Wimbledon crown since Fred
Perry in 1936.
The Brit is expected to beat Gasquet in four sets due to his better current form and home advantage.
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