Tennis: in Metz, Richard Gasquet wins his first match on the big circuit in six months

He's still fighting. Relegated to 113th place in the world rankings, the future retiree Richard Gasquet continues to scour the circuit in search of a few victories to thrill a few more times. Eliminated from entry at Bercy last week for his last Masters 1000 in Paris, this time he qualified for the second round of the ATP 250 tournament in Metz by beating the Brazilian Thiago Monteiro (100th) in three sets 4-6, 6 -4, 7-6 (8/6).

The 38-year-old Frenchman, who announced in early October that he would end his career after the next Roland-Garros, had to save a match point at 5-6 in the tie break of the deciding set before winning three points consecutive and the match. This is his first victory on the major ATP circuit in 6 months and his success in the first round of Roland-Garros against Borna Coric. In the meantime, Gasquet has won matches, but either only during ATP tournament qualifications (Masters 1000, Roland-Garros), or during challenger tournaments, the antechamber of the main circuit.

Finalist in 2004 in this Metz tournament, he will face in the next round the young American Alex Michelsen (44th, seeded N.8), 20 years old, whom he has never faced before.