French veteran Richard Gasquet stunned top-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-6 (8), 2-6, 7-5 at the Stuttgart Open to secure his 600th ATP tour win on Thursday. Despite Tsitsipas winning the first three games, Gasquet managed to level the score at 3-3 and went on to win the first set in the tiebreaker. Tsitsipas, who was playing his first grass-court match of 2023, managed to fend off four match points, with his 19th ace saving the first, before Gasquet finally sealed the win on the fifth match point. Gasquet expressed his delight at the achievement, saying, “Of course, I will try to win some more.”
Gasquet to Face Struff in Quarterfinals
In the quarterfinals, Gasquet will face home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff, against whom he has a 2-0 record. Struff defeated fifth-seeded American Tommy Paul 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) in the second round. Despite hitting 21 aces, Struff could only break Paul once, with Paul saving six of the seven break points he faced. Gasquet praised Struff’s skills, calling him “a good guy, a good friend, he’s very good. It’s really a tough match for me, but I have nothing to lose and I’ll try my best to win.”
Fritz Advances to Quarterfinals
Taylor Fritz started his grass-court season with a win, beating Aslan Karatsev 7-6 (4), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals. Fritz had to save set point at 5-4 down in the first set, which later went to a tiebreaker where he raced into a 5-2 lead before sealing the set. Fritz broke Karatsev for the first time at 3-2 in the second set to put himself on course for the win. The highest-ranked American on the men’s tour at No. 8, Fritz said he was “really happy” with the win and pleased with his serving and returning on grass. He goes on to meet Marton Fucsovics in the quarterfinals after the Hungarian won against Wu Yibing 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Gasquet’s 20-Year Career on the ATP Tour
Gasquet’s achievement of securing his 600th ATP tour win is a testament to his longevity and consistency on the tour. The 55th-ranked Frenchman has been on the tour for 20 years and has won 15 career singles titles, including two ATP Masters 1000 titles. His best performance at a Grand Slam tournament came in 2007 when he reached the semifinals at Wimbledon. Despite battling injuries in recent years, Gasquet continues to compete at the highest level and his win over Tsitsipas is proof of his enduring quality.
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