He is definitely a man of blows. If we can criticize Hugo Gaston for his lack of consistency at the highest level since his magnificent breakthrough at Roland-Garros in 2020 (round of 16 at the time, notably beating Stan Wawrinka), he shows from time to time how point he is capable of shining. And in Antwerp, Friday, the young Frenchman stood out by eliminating the top seed of the Belgian ATP 250 tournament, Alex de Minaur, in three sets (6-3, 3-6, 7-5) and 2h09 of quarter-final game. After four unsuccessful attempts, this is his first victory over a member of the world Top 10.
a smash-pass with his back to the net: gaston hit one of the shots of the year
And to think that he started by conceding his serve… But Hugo Gaston was having a great day this Friday since he reacted by winning the next four games (4-1), before hitting one of the shots of the year. Lobbed, he ran full stride behind his baseline to hit a sort of reverse smash with his back to the net, thus executing the perfect passing along the line. Beaten, Alex de Minaur could only applaud, then logically concede the first set. The fact remains that the Australian is a fighter, and he was able to restore the balance by winning the second act (6-3, 3-6).
A fierce battle then ensued in the final round, with both servers holding on until Gaston led 6-5. The Frenchman then delivered the blow to achieve the greatest success of his career and remind us that his magical left-handed tennis expresses itself particularly well on hard indoor courts: hadn’t he reached the quarter-finals of the Masters 1000? of Paris-Bercy in 2021? Certainly, it was only De Minaur’s second match in a month and a half, he who was injured after the US Open. But Gaston’s performance is notable: it allows him to qualify for the third semi-final of his career on the circuit against Roberto Bautista Agut.
