Richard Gasquet, a nearly man over the past decade, is one step away from a first grand slam final after the Frenchman came from two sets to one down to beat the No4 seed Stan Wawrinka in a shot-making extravaganza.
The 29-year-old, who has struggled to fulfil the talent he showed as a teenager, won 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-4, 11-9 to reach the last four at Wimbledon for the second time, and eight years after the first.
Having taken out Nick Kyrgios in the previous round, the No21 seed looked beaten when the French Open champion hit back from the loss of the first set to win the next two comfortably. But Gasquet, who has flattered to deceive so many times, won the fourth and, though broken when serving for the match at 5-3 in the decider, he broke in the 20th game to advance to the semi-finals. His reward is a match with the world No1 and defending champion, Novak Djokovic.
“It was very tough when I served at 5-3 and I got frustrated after that, but I tried to fight, fight and the last game was incredible,” Gasquet said. “It’s a great match for me. It would have been really difficult for me to lose after being up 5-3. It’s wonderful for me.”
This was the battle of the backhands, the pair owning the two best one-handers in the business, and it did not disappoint, with some brilliant shots, even if the No4 seed took time to find his feet.
Gasquet began brightly but from the moment he double-faulted to lose the second set it seemed unlikely he would make it through. Mental strength, at the very biggest moments, and an occasionally shaky serve, have been the biggest deficiencies in the Frenchman’s game but after Wawrinka won the third set he fought back superbly to take the fourth. Then in the fifth he bounced back after being broken at 5-3 and saved a break point in the 19th game before breaking in the next for victory.
Some of the play from both verged on the outrageous, even more so in a match played in a brisk wind on No1 Court where it can swirl more than in the relatively confined surroundings of Centre Court.
In the first set Wawrinka was guilty of hanging back too much and Gasquet, a semi-finalist in 2007, was able to dictate, breaking for 4-3 and then serving out to move ahead. In the second, despite a worrying moment when he flexed his right shoulder, Wawrinka began to take command and when Gasquet needed to be strong – serving at 4-5 – he failed. His first double-fault of the match handed the Swiss a set point and though it was saved, his second double-fault gave Wawrinka the set.
In the third Wawrinka began to cut loose, stepping into the court and ripping winners almost at will, with one break doing the job. But in the fourth Gasquet continued to go for his shots, always looking to make something happen. Wawrinka’s serve got him out of trouble a few times but his first double-fault gifted Gasquet the break and the set.
By this stage, Gasquet was reapplying the overgrip to his racket handle at every change of ends, his nerves there for everyone to see. His mental solidity has never been a strength but at 5-3, 30-15, he looked on course for victory only for two backhand errors to cost him dear.
The Frenchman showed great resolve, though, saving a break point at 9-9 with a big first serve. That was Wawrinka’s last opportunity, it proved, as Gasquet forced three match points in the next game and took the third of them to seal victory when Wawrinka sent a backhand long.
Djokovic eased into the last four and then anticipated a tough test against Gasquet, praising the Frenchman’s fitness for his strong form. “It’s a great effort from Richard to win against Stan, who is in a terrific form, and five sets,” said the world No1. “The biggest difference with Richard now, maybe comparing to the last couple of years, is his fitness. He has improved a lot. I heard he worked hard to get himself really fit and ready to go the distance, and it’s paying off.”
