Richard Gasquet rallies past Grigor Dimitrov into the round of 32 – French Open 2012
One of the local favourites, Richard Gasquet, came back from a deficit of one set to overcome the 87th ranked, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, in four sets 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 in the round of 64 at the French Open on Thursday.
Gasquet was the first one to take the lead, as he broke Dimitrov in the third game to go up 3-1 but the Bulgarian did not take much time to equalise the proceedings at 3-3. The next four went with the serves to take the score to
5-5. Dimitrov snatched two successive games after that to triumph 7-5.
The Bulgarian and Frenchman did not allow each other to break serve in the first eight games of the second set, evening out the score at 4-4. Dimitrov was near to getting two sets to love lead, as he struck in the ninth to grab
a 5-4 advantage but he failed in serving out the set and levelled it at 5-5. Gasquet took advantage and clinched following two games to seal it 7-5.
Gasquet started the third set confidently, capturing opening two games to move ahead 2-0. Both players lost their serve afterwards to take the score to 3-1 in the favour of the Frenchman. Serving to stay in the set at 2-5, Dimitrov
dropped his serve once more and went down 2-6.
In the fourth set, Gasquet and Dimitrov held their serve in the first five games to take the score to 3-2 in the favour of the Frenchman. Gasquet hit a blow to the Bulgarian in the sixth and won his subsequent serve to attain a
5-2 advantage. The Frenchman did not allow Dimitrov to make a comeback and won it 6-3.
Gasquet banged in a total of 10 aces but also made seven double faults in the match. He put in 60 percent of the first serves and pocketed 53 of the 75 points on them. The right-hander hit 43 winners and committed the same number
of unforced errors.
In comparison, Dimitrov fired three aces and made equal number of double faults. The Bulgarian kept his first delivery percentage at 66 and converted 58 of the 99 of them into points. The Paris, France resident could not convert
eight of the 12 break chances he received and failed to put away seven of the 23 threats he came across.
Gasquet will meet former world number two, Tommy Haas of Germany, in the third round.
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