Richard Gasquet of France beat seventh seed Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain 2-6 7-6 6-2 in a first round match of the ABN Amro Open in Rotterdam on Monday. The match lasted for more than two hours as both players managed to win 92 points apiece.
It was a good victory for the unseeded French veteran, who rolled back the years with a solid performance.
How Richard Gasquet Upset Pablo Carreno Busta in Rotterdam
#1. Carreno Busta won the first set convincingly:
Carreno Busta won the first set without breaking much of a sweat and also playing some superb shots, like the defensive cross court backhand winner in the final game of the set. The Spaniard broke Richard Gasquet in the third game to go 2-1 up and got another break to walk away with the set.
On a surface that was very slow for an indoor tournament, both players found it difficult to hit through each other. However, Carreno Busta’s superior movement helped his cause and he looked to have a big advantage over his 36-year-old opponent.
There were a lot of crosscourt backhand exchanges between the two in the first set, but Carreno Busta won most of those rallies.
#2. Richard Gasquet bounced back in a resounding manner by playing the angles well:
Gasquet sas once again a break down by the seventh game of the second set, but showed great resolve by breaking back immediately. He then went on to win the subsequent tie-break, as the Spaniard hit a few of his returns wide.
The Frenchman then raced through the final set, breaking Carreno Busta twice in the process. Gasquet played the angles very well in the final set and his cross court forehand was particularly effective.
On a surface that did not reward powerful hitting, Gasquet managed to keep his nose ahead playing those sharp angles really well.
Main Photo from Getty.
