Richard Gasquet (85th in the world) lost in the first round of the US Open on Monday, against Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (92nd), winner 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 6- 7 (1/7), 6-2 for the Frenchman who ends a season without a single Grand Slam victory.
The last season Gasquet didn’t reach the second round of any Major was in 2004, and he didn’t play at Flushing Meadows at all.
He was competing in his 19th US Open this year where he reached the semi-finals in 2013 and was beaten in the third round last year.
Helpless in the first two innings, the 37-year-old Frenchman got hung up in the third. As Marozsan served for the match at 5-3, Gasquet unbroken and managed to take the set to the tiebreak.
After an exchange of serves early in the fourth set, Marozsan earned the break to lead 5-4 and once again serve for the match. But the Biterrois broke and the two men found themselves embroiled in a new tie-break, after Marozsan saved two set points for Gasquet on his serve. The French clearly dominated the decisive game.
The fifth set turned to the advantage of the Hungarian when he managed the break to break away 4-2. He then concluded on the service of the Frenchman.
It is therefore Marozsan, 23, who will face in the second round another Frenchman, Adrian Mannarino (35th), or the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki (85th).
The Hungarian is participating in his first US Open. For his very first Grand Slam tournament, at Wimbledon in July, he was eliminated in the second round.
