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'Baby Federer' Shakes Off Growing Pains
By GEORGES HOMSI
Published: January 10, 2008
http://www.atptennis.com/5/en/deuce/january2008/gasquet.asp
From the tender age of nine, Richard Gasquet has been touted as a future
World No. 1. His game is so technically complete that he has been dubbed
'Baby Federer,' and at 21 he is one of just three active players to have
won titles on all surfaces. He finished 2007 ranked No. 8, yet some French
fans still doubt he is destined for greatness.
As a bookend to his breakout year in 2007, it was not the grand finale that
Richard Gasquet had in mind.
With a shot at the Tennis Masters Cup semifinals at stake, the young
Frenchman suffers a crushing 6-1, 6-1 defeat at the hands of Spanish
revelation David Ferrer. Gasquet is as groggy as a boxer reeling from
an uppercut as the French media bombard him with questions. "What can
I say? Ferrer is the toughest player for me to face. I'd rather play
Federer or Nadal," says the 21-year-old native of Serignan, a small
city in the south of France known for its laid-back attitude, warm
hospitality and passion for rugby.
After an inspired debut in Shanghai, which saw him force Nadal to three
sets, then outplay world No. 3 Novak Djokovic, Gasquet looked every bit
a Top 10 player before being humbled by the rampaging Ferrer. Asked whether
finishing a career-best No. 8 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings was
the realization of a lifelong dream, Gasquet, seemingly a little irritated,
replied: "Yes it is! It's not my ultimate goal, but a dream come true, yes,
absolutely. I don't care about people who think that I should be higher
ranked, and that I'm not fulfilling my potential. It's great for me, my
parents, my coach, and those close to me because, believe me, reaching
the Top 10 is anything but easy."
Like Tim Henman, who throughout his career was criticized in Great
Britain for failing to win Wimbledon, Gasquet is the victim of a
reputation he developed at an extremely young age: that of a potential
world No. 1. At age nine, he was featured on the cover of France's Tennis
magazine with the caption: "Is Richard G the champion France is eagerly
waiting for?"
The tone was set - at least in the eyes of tennis fans. Privately, the
Gasquet family knew his path would be long and hard. "In spite of his
exceptional results back then, he never became big headed. He never took
those results as a guarantee that he would make it on the professional
Tour," says his father, Francis.
Gasquet captured the junior titles at Roland Garros and Wimbledon in
2002 at age 16 and soon after was crowned Junior World Champion. Earlier
that year Gasquet became the youngest player in more than 10 years to win
a main draw ATP match when, after advancing from qualifying, he took out
World No. 54 Franco Squillari in the first round of Masters Series Monte
Carlo. He was just 15 years, 10 months old. Many viewed that victory as
his long-predicted professional breakthrough. But Gasquet wasn't yet
ready to find his way on the ATP Tour. Physically his body was far from
strong enough to sustain the demands of playing at that level
week-in-week-out, and the weight of expectations took its toll.
And, as a growing boy competing in a man's arena, injuries didn't spare
him. When, on a few occasions, he wilted before the conclusion of
hard-fought matches because of exhaustion, extreme heat, or physical
distress, he was quickly labeled a quitter. In the eyes of French fans,
Gasquet's fragility did not compare favorably with the iron man feats of
Rafael Nadal, just 15 days older than Gasquet, but with a body of a
hardened veteran.
"The comparison with Nadal was not always easy to accept, but it motivated
Richard to set even higher goals for himself," Gasquet's father says.
Francis taught his son the basics of tennis with a technique so pure
that Gasquet was quickly dubbed the "Mozart of French tennis." "He was
always so intent on reaching technical perfection, that sometimes he was
making things harder for himself," says Francis. "A few years ago, he
played very well in the South American clay swing, and I was able to
get the tape of his best matches. We watched them together, and I was
surprised at how disappointed he was at seeing himself missing a forehand
here or there."
So came three years of doubts and sustained injuries, which for some made
Gasquet the "former great French hope." "I think that at a certain stage
of his young career, criticism has hurt Richard," explains his coach, Eric
Deblicker. "Technically he is a prodigy, but he is no less human, and you
need time to put certain things in place, but his critics felt he should
have reached the Top 10 much earlier."
Deep inside, Richard knew his time was yet to come. In 2005, two months
before his 19th birthday, Gasquet once again chose Monte Carlo to make a
statement, defeating World No. 1 Roger Federer in the quarterfinals before
falling to Rafael Nadal in a riveting three-set battle in the semifinals.
Finally, Gasquet was back on track just when many had given up on him.
In 2007, while Gasquet's ranking kept improving, doubts lingered about
his physique and killer spirit. On the plus side, he staged a remarkable
comeback from two sets down to defeat Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon
quarterfinals in a performance Roger Federer described as "phenomenal."
Yet two months later the Frenchman was savaged by the French press when
tonsillitis forced his withdrawal from a second-round meeting with American
youngster Donald Young at the US Open - just when an attractive draw had
opened up. Even if he was sick, the feeling was that he should have at
least given it a shot.
This episode gave Deblicker the idea of soliciting the advice of
charismatic French superstar Yannick Noah, the 1983 Roland Garros
champion, who is now a popular singer in France. Inspired by the
words of wisdom of his prestigious elder, Gasquet went on to capture
his first title of the year in Mumbai, losing only 20 games in five
matches. In doing so, Gasquet completed a career 'surface slam' of
winning titles on all four surfaces (carpet, clay, grass, hard). Of
active players, only seasoned veterans Federer and Roddick can lay
claim to that feat.
Following the US Open, Gasquet won nine consecutive matches before
falling to Ferrer in the Tokyo final. "The collaboration with Yannick
helped me tremendously," Gasquet says. "Yannick knows tennis, and I
listened carefully to every bit of advice he gave me. He told me in
a very blunt way some things he felt I was not doing right, but coming
from him, I welcome criticism. Just like I have a hard time accepting
it from so many others who know nothing about tennis, but who feel they
have the right to tell me what to do. Yannick's help is precious to me.
He made it clear that his door was always open if I needed anything. I
intend to take him up on it, and ask for his advice on many future
occasions."
"The areas where Richard can improve are still many," says Deblicker.
"First, he needs to keep working hard physically. This is the area
that he started focusing on a little later in his career. He has
come a long way in the last three years, but there still is a lot
more to do. He also can improve a great deal mentally, and also
tactically."
Now Gasquet's goal for 2008 is simple: "Keep strengthening my body,
and try to qualify once again for the Masters Cup. I think I can get
even closer to the top." As for a Grand Slam success, Gasquet remains
cautious. "Anything is possible, of course, but I know how hard it is,
and I prefer to focus on climbing one step at a time." After all, at
age 21, even Federer had not captured the first of his 12 Grand Slam
titles.
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FRA_hotties∥法國網球板
The Mozart of French tennis: Richard Gasquet
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