Richard Gasquet passes by Botic van de Zandschulp on the first day

Started on the sun and warm, the match Richard Gasquet – Bicic Van de Zandschulp ended in the night and cold weather.

For those who were not present or did not watch TV, they had what to lose. Held on a normal pitch, with simple balls and on the one hand and the other, the duel between the two, on the Bucharest slag, did not come out of the tennis patterns. At 3-3, Botic makes the break and takes over. It serves strongly (200-212 km/hour), the speed is better than in Richard. 5-3, then 5-4, after the French saves 2 set balls, and natural 6-4. The set 2 begins with a break for the van of Zandschulp, the score immediately reaches 4-1 for it, after the double break, and nothing from the banality until then would announce what will come. I had already given up paying attention to Gasquet and almost all the photos were limited to the winner, almost certainly, Bicic Van de Zandschulp.

I kept this symbolic image. Suddenly, as a clear, the Frenchman Richard Gasquet comes out of the dark and looks like a different tennis. He comes to the net, sends strongly on the corners with that reveror of his, graceful, with one hand. It serves harder, do service-vole, run, invent shorts that fall surgically over the net and freezes in cold evening slag. He equalizes at 4-4, but immediately the Dutchman makes the break again and we think it was only a straw fire. 5-4 for the Botic serving for the match. Rebreak, 5-5. Gasquet is in shape, plays something else, takes over for the first time the driving on the table, 5-6. He makes a break and wins the set, 5-7. Who would have imagined? The Dutchman takes a locker room break, changes the shirt and returns for decisive.

Stupor! 3-0 for the French. Botic van de Zandschulp breaks the rocket of nerves and receives warning. He looked at his coach and can’t explain what happens to him. Lose all the balls like an amateur. From the player who beat Alcaraz at the US Open 2024, from the one who sent Nadal « to retirement » in Malaga, November 2024, and from the one who eliminated Djokovic to Indian Wells, a month ago, is only a shadow.