Frances Tiafoe will surely have Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard nightmares. Opposed for the second time in less than two months, the outcome was the same in Brisbane as in Paris last fall, at Bercy. This time, the Lyonnais only needed two sets to defeat the number 4 seed of the tournament (6-4, 7-6). After having barely defeated Nick Kyrgios in the first round in three rounds. The Frenchman was, this time, merciless in the heated moments with two break points saved and a break at the best time to conclude the first set after a controlled game at the net. (6-4)
The French giant once again relied on a hyper-effective first ball with 80% of its points won behind this one and its 20 aces. Tiafoe was not having a great day with only 53% on the first serve, a fairly low total which offered opportunities for his 21-year-old opponent to attack him on the return, particularly on the forehand. “I managed to put pressure on him on his second serve, it worked”detailed the winner of the match. As is often the case in the young Frenchman's matches, the last set was played in a tie-break. By concluding with a wooden volley, Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard spared himself a third round.
“It was a good match, it's never easy to play against Frances (Tiafoe). It was closer in the second set, I'm very happy with my performance”Emmanuel Planque's protégé reacted quickly. Very teasing, when asked at what age he exceeded 200 km/h in service, he answers “I don’t know, maybe at 10”. An answer that amused the Australian public before they gave the real answer. “I was 15, 16 years old and I was very proud of myself”bounced back the Frenchman. This Friday, he will face Jakub Mensik (N.48), quick defeater in less than an hour by Dusan Lajovic (6-3, 6-2), for a place in the semi-finals. In the event of victory, he could cross paths with Novak Djokovic, or his compatriot, Gaël Monfils, in the event of an exploit against the Serb who is a scarecrow in this tournament.
