Richard Gasquet’s coach, Sergi Bruguera, had some strong opinion when it came to his pupil’s Roland Garros quarter-final opponent, Andy Murray and added that he didn’t think the Scot was unbeatable.
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“I don’t care that I lost today – I was close to getting injured with my back”.
One of the players contesting Saturday’s women’s final must play four matches in as many days. The frustration led to a steady rise in his chuntering, and with Gasquet waving his backhand like a magic wand he roared back to parity and then took the set, much to the delight of a fired up Court Philippe Chatrier.
Radwanska had led 6-2 3-0 when rain stopped play on Sunday night, but returned to lose 10 consecutive games and crash out 2-6 6-3 6-3.
It was a baffling turn of events, although hardly unprecedented, as Murray had lost the first set in three of their four previous slam meetings.
‘I was using a lot of dropshots at the beginning and it was working and maybe I played a few too many.
But with the hour only just after lunch numerous corporate seats around the court were empty – something that French players have complained of before – and it was hardly a cauldron.
A similar pattern followed in the second set, as Murray again failed to serve out from 5-2 and fell 3-1 down in the tie-break, but he gathered himself to finally take control with six straight points. A nail-biting tie break ensued with Murray prevailing and it proved to be the turning point.
Gasquet, a man not known for his mental fortitude, could not stem the tide and Murray raced through the third set without losing a game.
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Gasquet, who has often been accused of being mentally weak, was unable to recover with Dunblane ace Murray taking the third set 6-0.
