Gasquet strolls into quarters

 

Originally published on: 26/02/10 12:01

The Frenchman cruised to a 6-3 6-2 victory over the Romanian wild card who was backed by a partisan crowd.

Gasquet is ranked 12th in the world, but has so far had a season to forget, failing to win a title and losing 17 of his 42 matches.

The 22-year-old has made it past the quarters just once this season – when he finished runner-up in Stuttgart – and came into this red clay event fresh off a disappointing opening-round loss to Tommy Haas at the US Open.

But he had few problems in brushing aside 165th-ranked Crivoi, winning 20 first-serve points out of 23 as he sealed victory in just 65 minutes.

Awaiting him in the last eight is unseeded Teimuraz Gabashvili, who crushed another Romanian wild card, Adrian Cruciat, 6-1 6-2.

The 23-year-old Russian is looking to reach his first ATP semi-final.

Also through to the quarter-finals are 2004 champion and eighth seed Jose Acasuso, a 6-4 7-5 winner over fellow Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello on Thursday.

A finalist here in 2002, Acasuso set up a last-eight clash with Spain’s Ivan Navarro, who came through his second-round match with Denis Gremelmayr after the German retired with an injury to his left ankle while trailing 6-3 1-0.

Now get the WORLD’S BEST TENNIS MAGAZINE here