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Davis Cup Challenge Looms Large for Richard Gasquet

Nov 18th 2014

While many hail the ATP World Tour Finals as the grand finale of the men’s tennis season, for a select few players the season does not end before the 23rd of November, when the Davis Cup final between Switzerland and France is being held at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the French city of Lille. While the Swiss team has been carried to the final by the twin powers of Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka, the French team is perhaps most notable for the amount of quality options and alternatives in its squad. 

Having said that, in reality, France has actually been somewhat surprisingly reliant on the experienced duo of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet in maneuvering their way to the final. While much of the pre-weekend talk will center on Federer, and his quest for one of the few prestigious prizes this sport can offer that he has not actually won yet, the tie may mean just as much in a different way for Gasquet. Since he likely will play a meaningful role, it could end up as the highlight of a career and consolation after a difficult season. 

Richard Gasquet

Fittingly, the tie – its pressure and prestige, as well as the match-ups it creates – also highlights some of the main challenges and issues of Gasquet’s career. 2014 has been a tough year for him, a season plagued and often interrupted by injuries ranging from back to stomach and elbow problems. 

Despite not being known as one of the physically strongest or quickest of competitors on tour, nor for being the mentally steeliest of players, the Frenchman is still ranked No. 26. While some might think this is not very impressive, it still demonstrates his high level of talent despite his injury woes and frequently discussed limitations.

Gasquet is famous for his technique and ball-striking ability, and his trademark one-handed backhand is the stuff of legend. The Frenchman also possesses the finesse and creativity in varying angles and mixing heavy topspin with biting slices that has become a rarity in today’s game.

His impressive array of skills has contributed to 10 ATP titles for Gasquet, but all of them in the smallest 250 category. And if you look at the 28-year-old’s record against the top players in the world, including an 0-5 record in ATP 500 and Masters 1000 finals, there emerges a clear pattern of consistently losing against this group for virtually a decade now. He has two wins and 10 losses against Federer, one win and nine losses against Djokovic, and no wins in 11 attempts against Nadal. (He does have a less dismal 3-5 record against Murray, but most would agree that the Scot is a step behind the other three men overall.)

There might be a need for clarification at this point. Granted, there is a reason why the aforementioned players are at the top of the rankings year in and year out and are rightly regarded as living legends of the game. It’s clear that Gasquet should lose more times than not against them. 

But when you start comparing Gasquet to some of the other players who have featured in the Frenchmen’s category, in terms of talent and number of ATP titles, over the last 10 years, they have shown the capacity to beat whoever was in front of them in a one-off match, and on the biggest stage as well. These are players like Robin Soderling, David Nalbandian, and more recently Stan Wawrinka or Marin Cilic. All of them have roughly the same amount of total titles as Gasquet, and each of them has defeated at least one of the top three players at a major.

Richard Gasquet

Put frankly, by contrast, Gasquet has real difficulties even properly extending and troubling the very best players. So what is hindering the Frenchman from matching his approximate ”equals” in becoming a danger for the very elite?

The easy answer is to look at Gasquet’s physique and fitness, compare it to one of the many superhumans in the top 10, and draw the conclusion that he lacks the required single-mindedness and dedication to fulfill his potential. But it may be that there is more to the story.

When analyzing the 28-year-old’s game, what becomes apparent is that he lacks a clearly defined playing style identity. Most players who have success against superior contenders have a firmly set identity and a real clarity in their game. They know which weapons are their greatest strengths and set out to utilize them from the first point onwards, while allowing for variations and nuances in relation to the opponent and his attributes. Sometimes, that area lies in the attacking game and trying to dominate the opponent, while sometimes it lies in a defensive and counter-punching style of play.

After looking at Gasquet’s game, he seems to fall in a gray area between playing styles. While having the precision and raw ball-striking ability of an attacking player, he lacks the explosiveness and easy power to properly hit through a top opponent.

Another dilemma from an attacking perspective is the amount of topspin that he naturally generates when striking the ball. It is a great quality to be blessed with, both offensively and defensively, but it also creates a couple of problematic issues in his attacking game. First, heavy topspin is counterproductive in terms of hitting through your opponent, since the arched trajectory of the ball gives the opponent more time to retrieve it. Moreover, the technique behind the Frenchman’s trademark topspin is actually something that forces him back behind the baseline, where he gains more time for the extra wrist and arm action. That prevents him from taking the ball early and redirecting it, thus taking time away from the opponent.

On the other hand, being comfortable behind the baseline, striking the ball solidly, varying the kind of ball that the opponent receives, and enjoying the added safety of his topspin groundstrokes could make Gasquet sound like a defensive specialist. That is not attainable for him, however, since for that kind of game you need incredible speed, fitness, and endurance, as well as mental stubbornness. These are all areas where the Frenchman comes up short.

Richard Gasquet

Gasquet’s playing style thus lacks a core identity on which he can rely and qualities on which to build going forward. He remains just a very good tennis player who has a limited ceiling despite his potential.

There is no doubt that Gasquet has been a first pick and a leading light for the duration of this very successful campaign for the French team, but now he and his teammates are up against exactly the kind of player who has stifled Gasquet throughout his career. At the same time, other players on the team, like Tsonga and Monfils, have the outstanding strengths in either offense or defense that Gasquet lacks.

Can he be dropped? Is the French Davis Cup captain Arnaud Clement able to drop Gasquet after his performances in taking France to this final in the first place? Or could perhaps a match against this caliber of player, in this very unique atmosphere, light some kind of fire for Gasquet and help find him a way to adapt his game to be able to compete against the very best? 

Interesting times ahead, at least, for Richard Gasquet.