Novak Djokovic is mired in a compelling five-set battle down below on the dirt as Richard Gasquet climbs the stairs of Court Philippe Chatrier to give the French people a jaunty interview about his success in reaching the fourth round of Roland Garros. Today, Gasquet will attempt to become a quarter-finalist in Paris for the very first time.
It is remarkable to think that victory over Andy Murray on the court where it was presumed he would become the prince of all he surveyed would secure a personal best at his home championship for the 25-year-old, who, when asked about the pressure of playing here, said: “I have had pressure since I was being pushed in the pram.”
He is not far wrong. Gasquet was front page news at the age of 9 and if there has become a preoccupationwith targets in Britain — this number of players reaching the top 100 in that number of years is a familiar and failed mantra — imagine what it must have been like to be presented as “Richard G, the champion that France is expecting” when not yet out of junior school. Even Murray was not nominated to win a grand-slam tournament until he was a teenager.
Striving to attain all the goals others set him has never been easy for Gasquet, whose career seemed to be over three years ago when he was banned after a trace of cocaine was found in a doping sample. He missed 2½ months before being cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which believed his story that he had been the victim of an inadvertent contamination when he kissed a girl in a Miami nightclub. The sport appealed against the entire process but lost.
Gasquet called it all “like being trapped in a disaster movie”. He has long since come out on the other side with his integrity intact and the total respect of his fellow French players, many of whom openly admit that they would not have survived what Gasquet had to go through.
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“I am 25 now and I am really happy that I can have these sensations still in my career,” he said. “I think that playing in front of my big public against Murray will be such a beautiful occasion for me. It gives you wings. I have had pressure before but I don’t feel it now. I just want to make sure I haven’t any regrets for as long as I play.”
Gasquet once eschewed the physical regime during tournaments that others have become accustomed to, believing that his talent alone ought to be enough to see him through. There is no doubt that he possesses all the talent in the world — his backhand is one of the dreamiest shots in the game — but his attitude has hardened under the coaching duo of Riccardo Piatti, of Italy, and Sébastien Grosjean, a semi-finalist in Paris 11 years ago, who reached the same stage at Wimbledon in 2003 and 2004. “I didn’t do physique and now I am trying to do it and it makes a difference for me,” he said. “I feel very good. I have more experience.
“I have less pressure than before, less expectation. Now there are lot of great French players, I’m not the only one, I am feeling better in my place. There will be a lot of crowd for me tomorrow. I just want to enjoy it and feel happy to be good on the court. It is just a pleasure for me to go there.”
Murray knows that he has his work cut out. Their record is tied at 3-3 and Gasquet defeated him two weeks ago in Rome when the British No 1 was in one of his less settled moods. The weather has taken a bit of a turn for the worse, they are unlikely to start until late afternoon today and the chances are there will be a chill wind blowing. “I don’t mind that at all,” Gasquet said. “I was brought up in the south of France where the winds can really blow. I like these conditions.”
Murray was a great deal more into his game against Santiago Giraldo, of Colombia, on Saturday than he had been when suffering physically in the previous round against Jarkko Nieminen, of Finland, a display that prompted some disparaging comments on television and the usual outpouring of vitriol from certain website respondents.
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His own comment yesterday was the perfect riposte. “Inevitably, there’s going to be some times you’re asked a question, or someone says something you don’t like, and you’re going to respond honestly if you feel passionately about it,” he said. “A couple of years ago, I played [Andy] Roddick in Miami, he withdrew and someone came up after the press conference who had been doing a study on the top 50 players about when they call for the trainer and when they have retired in matches. [Roger] Federer and I are the two guys who have called for the trainer the least on the tour and had pulled out from the least matches on the tour.
“So for someone to suggest that I make a meal of injuries when I call the trainer I felt I had to defend myself. So it’s important for people to know that as well — when there have been problems with me, they’ve been genuine.” To beat Gasquet, he will certainly need a genuine performance today.
Home heroes at Roland Garros
Jean Borotra The “Bounding Basque” won five grand-slam titles at French and Australian Opens and Wimbledon but failed to seal career slam at US Open.
Henri Cochet One of the famed “Four Musketeers” from 1920s. The World No 1 from 1928-30, he won four French titles, Wimbledon twice and the US Open once.
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René Lacoste Won seven grand-slam titles in the 1920s. Founded La Société Chemise Lacoste, which became a famed clothing emblem, in 1933.
Marcel Bernard Best remembered for winning French Open and the men’s doubles crown with Yvon Petra in 1946.
Philippe Chatrier French junior champion, 1945 who played and captained France’s Davis Cup team. The main court at Roland Garros is named after him.
Yannick Noah Last French-born winner at Roland Garros in 1983. Then became highly successful captain of Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams.
Fabrice Santoro Only man to have appeared in grand-slam singles in four decades, from 1989 French Open to 2010 Australian Open. Won French Open men’s doubles 2004.