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Gasquet Fights Back to Reach Estoril Finals


By Erik Gudris Photo Credit: AFP Photo/Nunes


(May 5th, 2012) In the past, France's Richard Gasquet hasn't always been known for his mental resolve in tight matches, but his display of fighting sprit in today's semifinals at the Estoril Open suggest he may have turned a corner in that part of his game.

Taking No. 4 seed Albert Ramos, Gasquet went down an early break in the first set that he never recovered from as Ramos went on to take the set 6-2. The second set was a lengthy battle that ended in a tiebreak that Gasquet handily won seven points to one.

But the third set remained close between both men as they traded several breaks until Gasquet broke one more time to go up 6-5. Gasquet, while serving for the match, went down 15-40 but clawed back to deuce before finally taking the over three-hour contest on his first match point 2-6, 7-6, 7-5.

Gasquet enters his first final of 2012 and is looking for his first title since winning in Nice last year.

Waiting for Gasquet is top seed Juan Martin Del Potro who squared off against No. 3 seed Stanislas Wawrinka in a semifinal that started late in the afternoon and was interrupted early in the first set by a rain shower. After the storm passed, Del Potro edged out the Swiss No. 2 in a first set tiebreak before breaking Wawrinka late in the second set to close out a 7-6, 6-4 win.

Del Potro leads the overall head to head 3 to 1 having won the last meeting between the pair in Marseille earlier this year.

 

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