Gasquet Easily Into Junior Boys' Semifinals
by Bob Greene
Friday, September 6, 2002
http://www.usopen.org/

Richard Gasquet is concentrating, which could be perilous to any
player facing him from the other side of the net.

"I play very good," the Frenchman said Friday after advancing to
the semifinals of the U.S. Open Junior Boys singles by demolishing
No. 11 seed Dudi Sela of Israel 6-3, 6-2. "I have a lot of concentration."

That's what was lacking the last time the two met, on clay at Roland
Garros earlier this summer, when Gasquet won in three sets.

"I was a set down and he had a point for 4-love in the second," Gasquet
remembered. "Afterwards, he collapsed a bit. I really didn't want to
rely on that kind of thing happening today to win, so I was in the
match from the first shot."

On the hard courts of the USTA National Tennis Center, Gasquet had no
problems with the hard-hitting Israeli. Although he's just 16, Gasquet
is considered one of the up-and-coming stars on the men's pro circuit.

Top-seeded in the Junior Boys, Gasquet is playing on hard courts for
the first time since the Australian Open in January. He has spent most
of the year playing satellite and challenger events on red clay.

In June, Gasquet, then 15, became the youngest winner of the junior
boys' title in French Open history. Playing in the main draw later, he
forced Spain's Albert Costa to four sets before falling.

All of that came shortly after he reached the second round at Monte
Carlo, where he upset Argentina's Franco Squillari to become the youngest
player ever to win a match at an ATP Masters Series event. His run in
that clay court tournament ended when he fell to Russia's Marat Safin.

Gasquet began this year by reaching the semifinals of the Australian
Open junior boys. With the exception of the junior events at Roland
Garros and the U.S. Open, he has played only professional tournaments,
posting a 43-8 match record. He has won four tournaments in that stretch.

"I'm getting more into the tournament," Gasquet said Friday, "and I
really want to win."