1 Response to estoril07djokovic_gasquet

1. Voo de Mar says:

   May 20, 2025 at 4:21 pm

   Points won by each set: | 48-48, 7-26, 25-11 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   11 % Djokovic – 10 of 96
   20 % Gasquet – 14 of 69

   The Djokovic-Gasquet rivalry is finished at 13-1 for the Serb (14-1 with a Challenger match), but when they met in Portugal as ~20-year-old players, it was just their second meeting, and almost a copy of the first one # The Serb [5] confirmed that he didn’t have as many shots in his repertoire as his fluid French contemporary, but was able to increase his level when it mattered the most, so basically he’s a smarter player. In the 1st set of the final he saved six set points (one on return):
   4:5 (15/40)
   5:6 (30/40)
   4:6 and 6:7 in the tie-break
   On two occasions Gasquet [15] displayed his carelessness which would haunt him for the rest of his career – once he decided to play a dropshot from a shoulder-level ball (barely missed), then due to wind he misjudged the trajectory of the ball and Djokovic got the point with an accidental lob (passing-shot). In the 2nd set at *0:2 the Serb decided that he wouldn’t fight for each point actually throwing in the towel. It was a reasonable decision because his route to the final was very demanding (two 2.5-hour wins on the verge of defeat) and he wasn’t considered as a super fit youngster at the time. He stepped into another gear from the beginning of the decider, established a 3:0* lead, and finished the event with two powerful serves even though for the entire match he had been rather trying to keep a high percentage of his first serves in, serving slowly.

   Djokovic’s route to his 5th title:
   1 Igor Andreev 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(5)
   2 Santiago Ventura 6-2, 6-2
   Q Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 1-6, 7-5
   S Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1
   W Richard Gasquet 7-6(7), 0-6, 6-1

   Serve & volley: both 0

   Djokovic was three points away from losing to Andreev, against GGL he trailed 2:4* in the deciding set

   # Comparison of their first two matches:
   Madrid 2006 (2R): Djokovic d. Gasquet 7-6, 1-6, 6-1… 1 hour 38 minutes… Total points: 81-73… Breaks: 3-3
   Estoril 2007 (F): Djokovic d. Gasquet 7-6, 0-6, 6-1… 2 hours 11 minutes… Total points: 80-85… Breaks: 4-5

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