'Beautiful draw': Retiring Gasquet meets Sinner in French Open swansong

PARIS : The second round continues at the French Open on Thursday with world number one Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic taking on Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Corentin Moutet, respectively, while women’s second seed Coco Gauff is also in action.

TOP MEN’S MATCH: SINNER V GASQUET

In a repeat of last year’s second-round match, Sinner will play Gasquet but there will not be a third time as the 38-year-old Frenchman is retiring after the tournament, bringing down the curtain on a glorious 23-year career.

Gasquet made his Grand slam debut at the age of 15 at Roland Garros and the former world number seven – who has played more than 1,000 career matches and appeared at every French Open since 2010 – is preparing for his final bow.

Sinner beat him in straight sets last year en route to the world number one ranking and Gasquet feels like the writing is on the wall after recovering from tearing his calf twice ahead of his final tournament.

“At the end of your career, for your last match, you couldn’t dream better than playing the world number one,” said Gasquet, once dubbed the “Mozart of Tennis” for his graceful yet effortless style of play.

“He won’t be the easiest one to beat but it’s a beautiful draw and it would be a pleasure.”

The French crowd will understandably be in the veteran’s corner on Court Philippe-Chatrier but that does not bother Sinner, who understands that home court advantage will play its part.

“It’s definitely going to be different, I know that. But I don’t think they have something against me, no? It’s right that they support the players who are from here,” said the Italian, who beat France’s Arthur Rinderknech in the first round.

“Last year I played also against some French players here. So I know a little bit what to expect.”

TOP WOMEN’S MATCH: AZARENKA V KENIN

If there were any doubts about whether Victoria Azarenka could still cut it at Grand Slam level, the 35-year-old showed she is not done yet with a 6-0 6-0 demolition of Yanina Wickmayer in the first round.

In doing so, Azarenka became the oldest woman in the professional era since 1968 to win a singles Grand Slam main-draw match with a 6-0 6-0 scoreline, serving the Belgian a double bagel in 48 minutes.

She will face fellow major winner Sofia Kenin in a battle between two former Australian Open champions. Kenin is a former world number four who reached the final at Roland Garros in 2020 but has since struggled to make her mark on the women’s tour.

Kenin reached a claycourt final last month when she lost to Jessica Pegula in Charleston but she will be wary of the last time she met Azarenka on the surface five years ago, when the Belarusian won in Rome – with a 6-0 6-0 scoreline.

DJOKOVIC CHASING 25TH MAJOR

With title number 100 in the bag after winning the Geneva Open, Djokovic’s full focus is now on a record-extending 25th major.

The 38-year-old will be playing Moutet, who is 12 years his junior. Djokovic beat him in straight sets the last time they met in Rome last year.

However, Djokovic has admitted that time is no longer on his side as he battles injuries and niggles.

“Thankfully I don’t have any major injury now. There is always something happening but on a kind of more a minor level, daily level, that it’s manageable,” he said.

“When you’re younger, your body recovers faster. Yeah, so that’s just something biological that you have to accept as the clock ticks.”

FRENCH OPEN ORDER OF PLAY ON THURSDAY (prefix number denotes seeding)

COURT PHILIPPE-CHATRIER (play begins at 1000 GMT)

Ann Li (U.S.) V 3-Jessica Pegula (U.S.)

1-Jannik Sinner v Richard Gasquet (France)

7-Madison Keys (U.S.) v Katie Boulter (Britain)

Gael Monfils (France) v 5-Jack Draper (Britain)

COURT SUZANNE-LENGLEN (play begins at 0900 GMT)

Jaume Munar (Spain) v 14-Arthur Fils (France)

Tereza Valentova (Czech Republic) v 2-Coco Gauff (U.S.)

Corentin Moutet (France) v 6-Novak Djokovic (Serbia)

17-Daria Kasatkina (Australia) v Leolia Jeanjean (France)