After his victory in the first round over New Zealander Christopher O’Connell, we were delighted to see Richard Gasquet face Stefanos Tsitsipas during the Masters 1,000 in Miami. A match a priori unbalanced, but we are still taking a few beautiful setbacks from the 36-year-old Biterrois, before the dreaded day but closer and closer to his retirement. Alas, the clash between the Hérault esthete and the Greek aesthetic, finalist of the last Australian Open, will not take place.
The organization of the Florida tournament said this Saturday that the French No. 1, 40th in the world, had to withdraw due to an ankle injury, and that he would therefore not face the 3rd in the ATP rankings. What to offer a respite to Tsitsipas, in delicacy with a shoulder.
Times are tough for the French veterans, even if Gasquet still has a margin over Gaël Monfils, who is going from injury to injury. “La Monf'” had been forced to give up Wednesday during his first match in Miami against another Frenchman Ugo Humbert, because of a glitch in the wrist.