Topic: ALLEZ!! The Richard Gasquet Appreciation thread

[Pamqnx]

So, from another member on a French forum (I've translated it, so be nice :D ) :

Funny little anecdote about this good old Richard G. !

One of my friends played the qualies of the US Open (he lost in the 2nd round) and attended the main draw among all the French players who were already there and particularly Richard G.

As chance handed him a pretty tough opponent in Tommy Haas, the reaction of the young Frenchman apparently surprised everyone.

All the players were around a common computer until the moment when...Richard bounced 3 meters behind while shouting "Ohh no, not that, why does it always come upon me ??? That's not possible... !!!" before letting himself go in a sofa and complaining at the phone during 15 minutes about his draw (I don't know who he was talking to)...

For someone who says he knows what he wants, and who says he wants to go far, he doesn't look calm

It makes me laugh but in the same time it's not funny at all !

Alex, show your avatar again !

[Alex]

So, from another member on a French forum (I've translated it, so be nice :D ) :

Funny little anecdote about this good old Richard G. !

One of my friends played the qualies of the US Open (he lost in the 2nd round) and attended the main draw among all the French players who were already there and particularly Richard G.

As chance handed him a pretty tough opponent in Tommy Haas, the reaction of the young Frenchman apparently surprised everyone.

All the players were around a common computer until the moment when...Richard bounced 3 meters behind while shouting "Ohh no, not that, why does it always come upon me ??? That's not possible... !!!" before letting himself go in a sofa and complaining at the phone during 15 minutes about his draw (I don't know who he was talking to)...

For someone who says he knows what he wants, and who says he wants to go far, he doesn't look calm

It makes me laugh but in the same time it's not funny at all !

Alex, show your avatar again !

Richie is a sensitive young man. He is not tough, but I think when everything clicks for him he'll win some majors. His game is more complex than some other young guys.

[Pamqnx]

The anecdote was a sign...

[Tennis4you]

Sorry BGT!  Tough first round draw for Gasquet.  He will live to fight another day though...

[Pamqnx]

Exclusive video featuring Gasquet just after his defeat:

http://www.grapheine.com/bombaytv/index.php?module=see&lang=uk&code=6dd4932340eb93ca0b3e0c2b66171265

[pawan89]

Sorry BGT!  Tough first round draw for Gasquet.  He will live to fight another day though...

We have been saying this for.. 4 years? He's 21.. or 22?

Come on Gasquet!! I want to see him end the year strong, he can still make the TMC can't he?

[BGT]

He's very far behind in the race so he'd probably have to dominate the fall season. So not likely.

[alchemist]

Very disappointing to see him lose.  I expected Haas to take a set from him but nothing else.   

[BGT]

From the RG forum on MTF. This was a French Article that was translated.

He was not crushed. Pérotte (his physical trainer): "Less than we were. And it's a good thing, because it shows he's eager to bounce back..." Hence the immediate withdrawal in doubles in order to prepare Bucharest.
Peyre's assessment of the NY experience: "There were very good things and very bad ones." Revealing of his situation: very close to the top and yet still quite far from it.
He was able to give a hard time to a former world number 2 who is always playing his best tennis at the US Open. But it was a rollercoaster again, which is hard to understand coming from a guy who is closely followed by a very demanding staff.
One shouldn't forget his spring season, it's never easy to get over such a crisis. He hasn't been doing so poorly since then, almost beat Murray in Wimbledon and knocked out Nadal in a memorable TB in Toronto. Not bad, but obviously not good enough for his standards.
Peyre: he is confident Richard is on the right way and over the main hurdle because he's working a lot and he's very motivated. But the FH remains a big issue. Sometimes he panics and looks like he just wants to get rid of the ball. It's still a big weakness in matches. "It's essential he improves in that regard. Otherwise he won't be able to establish himself at the top." "There still is an enormous amount of work to do."
His staff has been putting the emphasis on the physical part lately in all the public statements. The match against Haas proved he isn't fully ready yet. Pérotte: he still has to improve his muscular strength and his stamina so he will be more clear-headed in matches and avoid the moments of imprecision like against Haas. He needs to be more consistent in order to stand firm in the 5th sets too. That's the big difference with Murray and Djokovic right now. Pérotte is expecting a lot from the 6 weeks of work during the winter break.
His schedule for the next weeks is "gargantuan". He has a lot of points to defend. In case he doesn't defend all his points, he could lose his French number 1 spot. Peyre: "It's random and really not important. We're aiming higher anyway."

His fall schedule:

Bucharest, Beijing, Tokyo, Moscow, Madrid, Lyon, Bercy

[Alex]

From the RG forum on MTF. This was a French Article that was translated.

He was not crushed. Pérotte (his physical trainer): "Less than we were. And it's a good thing, because it shows he's eager to bounce back..." Hence the immediate withdrawal in doubles in order to prepare Bucharest.
Peyre's assessment of the NY experience: "There were very good things and very bad ones." Revealing of his situation: very close to the top and yet still quite far from it.
He was able to give a hard time to a former world number 2 who is always playing his best tennis at the US Open. But it was a rollercoaster again, which is hard to understand coming from a guy who is closely followed by a very demanding staff.
One shouldn't forget his spring season, it's never easy to get over such a crisis. He hasn't been doing so poorly since then, almost beat Murray in Wimbledon and knocked out Nadal in a memorable TB in Toronto. Not bad, but obviously not good enough for his standards.
Peyre: he is confident Richard is on the right way and over the main hurdle because he's working a lot and he's very motivated. But the FH remains a big issue. Sometimes he panics and looks like he just wants to get rid of the ball. It's still a big weakness in matches. "It's essential he improves in that regard. Otherwise he won't be able to establish himself at the top." "There still is an enormous amount of work to do."
His staff has been putting the emphasis on the physical part lately in all the public statements. The match against Haas proved he isn't fully ready yet. Pérotte: he still has to improve his muscular strength and his stamina so he will be more clear-headed in matches and avoid the moments of imprecision like against Haas. He needs to be more consistent in order to stand firm in the 5th sets too. That's the big difference with Murray and Djokovic right now. Pérotte is expecting a lot from the 6 weeks of work during the winter break.
His schedule for the next weeks is "gargantuan". He has a lot of points to defend. In case he doesn't defend all his points, he could lose his French number 1 spot. Peyre: "It's random and really not important. We're aiming higher anyway."

His fall schedule:

Bucharest, Beijing, Tokyo, Moscow, Madrid, Lyon, Bercy

I think that's a bad schedule. Too many MM tournaments  . He's fitness is not that great.

[BGT]

Well, he won Mumbai last year and can't defend it because it got canceled. He also got to the Tokyo final so he's got to play that. he might feel the need to make up to the Chinese fans. He MUST play as many tournaments as possible in France. And he needs to catch up in the race. Perfectly logical.

[Alex]

Well, he won Mumbai last year and can't defend it because it got canceled. He also got to the Tokyo final so he's got to play that. he might feel the need to make up to the Chinese fans. He MUST play as many tournaments as possible in France. And he needs to catch up in the race. Perfectly logical.

I guess if he can win some small tournaments it will help his confidence. The problem is he'll have to play against big guys sooner or later. I don't know 

[pawan89]

I think we might be pleasently surprised come AO. He's made the 4th round last two years i think.. I think he might do better next year It should be an added motivation to see Murray also doing well.

[BGT]

I know it's added motivation for me. Here's some quotes after his 2nd round match:

"I won 6-3 6-2 but I had to play a good match because you never know what can happen", Gasquet said. "I was leading 2-0 and then he started to play better and better. I was down and so I tried to play my game and focus on my serve. It was a good match, he is a good player.

"My forehand was better, especially at the end of the match", Gasquet said. "I had problems with it in the first set but in the second it was better, my serve too. I ran okay, so I am happy to win in straight sets because you never know what might happen."

[BGT]

"It was disappointing to lose the tiebreak after missing two easy volleys", Gasquet said. "After that I tried to fight and I was lucky because I broke him at the beginning of the second set which was important for me. That gave me a lot of confidence and after that I played better and better."

Winning the last two sets so comfortably in the end came down to Gasquet improving his level and Gabashvili's dropping off sufficiently.

"I played better with my backhand, I served well. He played worst for sure; he lost a little bit of his confidence. I played two good sets to win and I'm happy I am in the semi-finals."

Looking ahead to his match with Carlos Moya, Gasquet said: "He has a good serve and good forehand; it will be exciting to play against him, a former No.1 and a good guy who plays really well. It's a semi-final and we both have to enjoy it. I will try and play well and try to beat Carlos."

0-2 H2H against Moya. Last match was a 3 set semi loss in Sydney 2007.

[Clay Death]

"It was disappointing to lose the tiebreak after missing two easy volleys", Gasquet said. "After that I tried to fight and I was lucky because I broke him at the beginning of the second set which was important for me. That gave me a lot of confidence and after that I played better and better."

Winning the last two sets so comfortably in the end came down to Gasquet improving his level and Gabashvili's dropping off sufficiently.

"I played better with my backhand, I served well. He played worst for sure; he lost a little bit of his confidence. I played two good sets to win and I'm happy I am in the semi-finals."

Looking ahead to his match with Carlos Moya, Gasquet said: "He has a good serve and good forehand; it will be exciting to play against him, a former No.1 and a good guy who plays really well. It's a semi-final and we both have to enjoy it. I will try and play well and try to beat Carlos."

0-2 H2H against Moya. Last match was a 3 set semi loss in Sydney 2007.

Moya could make a match out of it. seems to be serving well and also doing some damage with his forehand. that said, its Gasquet on paper now that Moya is a senior citizen.

[BGT]

An analysis on Richie's game by a poster on MTF. Also did Federer, Murray and Djokovic:

Forehand – Absolutely awful technique. Doesn’t handle pace well and almost always frames when hitting the ball slightly further away from his body than normal. As a rally shot it lacks depth and has too much spin, making it sit up into the slot for his opponents. The fact that he usually plays it from a metre behind the baseline most of the time doesn't help. Surprisingly his best forehand is when he flattens it out and goes for maximum power which forces him to hit through the ball. Can pull off stunning winners when doing this, but nowhere near consistently enough for it to be a weapon.

Backhand – His signature shot. Erection inducing for fans. His early backswing and preparation is a great lesson for beginners learning how to hit a backhand. Can hit down the line and crosscourt equally well, and unlike the forehand, can handle the pace of offensive shots. Consistently generates winners from unlikely positions and the backhand passing shot rarely misses. Surprisingly lacking a good slice, its mediocre at best. Doesn’t really use it as an offensive shot.

Return of serve – Competent without being spectacular. Likes to stand way behind the baseline even on second serves which restricts his attacking ability. Struggles with the wide serve on the deuce court as he gives his opponent the angle by standing back. It also exposes his weak outstretched forehand. The backhand return is potent but doesn’t attack with it often enough considering how adept he is at the shot. Handles the body serve well on the backhand.

Netplay – Better than most. Has good technique and natural volleying ability. Moves forward into the court very well and can hit the backhand and forehand volleys competently with little swing and a firm wrist. Possesses soft hands which allows him to execute difficult drop volleys off hard and low passing shots.

Defense – his anticipation and court coverage are very good. The fact that he plays from far back gives him more time to retrieve shots, but also makes him vulnerable to angle and drop shots. Has good shot making ability on the full run where going for a winner is required to win the point.

Serve – Not fantastic but does okay considering his height. Not the best technique and probably doesn’t get as much weight transfer as the better servers. Tends to double fault on critical points.

Mental strength – An aspect of his game, along with the forehand, which keeps him from being a consistent slam performer. Has the tendency to get down on himself after squandering leads and start going for ridiculous shots which ultimately go in about 10% of the time. His relatively poor results at RG shows he doesn't like the pressure. Not known for his fighting qualities. Examples this year include his losses to Murray at Wimbledon where he didn’t handle the crowd well, and against Haas at the USO where he virtually gave away the fifth set after losing a 2 sets to 1 lead.

[Alex]

An analysis on Richie's game by a poster on MTF. Also did Federer, Murray and Djokovic:

Forehand – Absolutely awful technique. Doesn’t handle pace well and almost always frames when hitting the ball slightly further away from his body than normal. As a rally shot it lacks depth and has too much spin, making it sit up into the slot for his opponents. The fact that he usually plays it from a metre behind the baseline most of the time doesn't help. Surprisingly his best forehand is when he flattens it out and goes for maximum power which forces him to hit through the ball. Can pull off stunning winners when doing this, but nowhere near consistently enough for it to be a weapon.

Backhand – His signature shot. Erection inducing for fans. His early backswing and preparation is a great lesson for beginners learning how to hit a backhand. Can hit down the line and crosscourt equally well, and unlike the forehand, can handle the pace of offensive shots. Consistently generates winners from unlikely positions and the backhand passing shot rarely misses. Surprisingly lacking a good slice, its mediocre at best. Doesn’t really use it as an offensive shot.

Return of serve – Competent without being spectacular. Likes to stand way behind the baseline even on second serves which restricts his attacking ability. Struggles with the wide serve on the deuce court as he gives his opponent the angle by standing back. It also exposes his weak outstretched forehand. The backhand return is potent but doesn’t attack with it often enough considering how adept he is at the shot. Handles the body serve well on the backhand.

Netplay – Better than most. Has good technique and natural volleying ability. Moves forward into the court very well and can hit the backhand and forehand volleys competently with little swing and a firm wrist. Possesses soft hands which allows him to execute difficult drop volleys off hard and low passing shots.

Defense – his anticipation and court coverage are very good. The fact that he plays from far back gives him more time to retrieve shots, but also makes him vulnerable to angle and drop shots. Has good shot making ability on the full run where going for a winner is required to win the point.

Serve – Not fantastic but does okay considering his height. Not the best technique and probably doesn’t get as much weight transfer as the better servers. Tends to double fault on critical points.

Mental strength – An aspect of his game, along with the forehand, which keeps him from being a consistent slam performer. Has the tendency to get down on himself after squandering leads and start going for ridiculous shots which ultimately go in about 10% of the time. His relatively poor results at RG shows he doesn't like the pressure. Not known for his fighting qualities. Examples this year include his losses to Murray at Wimbledon where he didn’t handle the crowd well, and against Haas at the USO where he virtually gave away the fifth set after losing a 2 sets to 1 lead.

yeah, Leng did a pretty good job analyzing his skills.

[kickserve]

Little bit harsh on the forehand there: it's actually pretty good when he steps up the court, but he seems to lack the confidence to do so unless it's an obviously short ball, so gets pushed onto the back foot to often, resulting in his technical problems. I still think mental strength, or lack thereof, is his biggest weakness.

[BGT]

Pictures

vs Schuettler