Second round in Monaco: Tennis professional Altmaier defeats Fanzöische veteran gasquet

The Kempener tennis professional Daniel Altmaier is in the round of 16 at the Masters in Monte Carlo for the first time. On Wednesday he was Richard Gasquet 7: 5, 5: 7, 6: 2 down after a hard fight.

Gasquet ranks 80 places behind Altmaier as number 164 of the ATP world rankings. It was clear that the task for the 26-year-old German would still be difficult. The 38-year-old Frenchman, who wants to end his career end after the French Open this summer, is also a dangerous opponent on the home stretch of his profile career.

Gasquet won his first match in Monte Carlo at the age of 15

In round one, the Italian Matteo Arnaldi (number 40 in the world) felt. The 24-year-old lost to the veteran in three sets, who holds a remarkable record in Monte Carlo. When he won his first game there 23 years ago, he was only 15 years old and is the youngest player who won a match on the ATP Tour started in 1990.

At that time he defeated Franco Squillari (Argentina) in round one in three sets and then lost smoothly against the former world ranking Marat Safin (Russia). Both players have ended their careers long ago, but Gasquet still plays. And at a very high level, which he demonstrated against Altmaier.

Altmaier uses his first break chance

While Gasquet had little trouble in the first round with his own service, Altmaier kept having to fend off break balls, proving nerve strength. When he equalized to 4: 4 with his own service, he had already thwarted four chances of the Frenchman.

Previously, the Kempener had taken a medical break at 2: 3, which lasted more than eight minutes. You didn’t notice this before or after. How focused and efficient he can act, the German number three showed at 5: 5, when he struck ice cold after then unusual mistakes of his opponent and took his first chance to take off the surcharge.

Break Festival in the second round

With the break obtained in the back, things went better even with its own service. Altmaier secured two set balls with an ace, a massive forehand and a safe volley, of which he turned the second to 7: 5 – again with a volley on the net.

Younger players could get a sentence with awarded opportunities that are punished by an efficient opponent at the end, but not gasquet. With the experience of more than 1,000 matches as a tennis professional, he immediately countered with a break to 2: 0 at the beginning of the second round. However, he then awarded a game ball to 3-0 and helped Altmaier with slight mistakes to the re-break.

Altmaier misses the match gain on their own surcharge

From then on, the impact games not only wiggled as in the first sentence, but were lost in rows, which is unusual, at least in the abundance, even on the slower red ash. So Altmaier only collected the 1: 3, but countered directly with the break to 2: 3 and later to 4: 3. Gasquet Bracts for 4: 4, Altmaier again to 5: 4, only to give up the supposed advantage directly – with a double error to 5: 5.

Now it was no longer so well ordered about the nerve strength of the German. He lost the French to the French and then collected his fifth break in this sentence to 5: 7. A service game from the match win, Altmaier had to sort himself for the crucial third set and used a toilet break that was around nine minutes long.

Gasquet collapses in the third set after early break

The break obviously did good for him. After the spectators got two surcharge games to see 1-1, Altmaier grabbed the break to 2-1. The 38-year-old Frenchman handed over the game with a double mistake and looked nervous and physically stricken. The Kempener used this, remained sovereign on his own service, added another break and ultimately won 6-2.

Altmaier was able to look forward to moving into the round of 16 for the first time in his second participation in Monte Carlo. In 2024 he failed at the opening hurdle Francisco Cerundolo (Argentina). For Gasquet, after twelve participation and probably the last appearance in Monaco, in addition to three quarter-finals, there is also a semi-finals in the statistics, which he lost in 2005 just against the Spanish clay court king Rafael Nadal (7: 6, 4: 6, 3: 6).

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