By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Thursday June 3, 2021
Rafael Nadal has always enjoyed celebrating his birthday in Paris, and today was no exception as the King of Clay routed France’s Richard Gasquet to round out the third round of the men’ singles draw at Roland-Garros on his 35th birthday.
Nadal’s 6-0, 7-5, 6-2 victory improves the Spaniard’s record to mind-blowing 102-2 lifetime on the terre battue and stretches his current winning streak in paris to stretch his winning streak at Roland-Garros to 32 matches. He’ll face Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie—his third round victim at this year’s Australian Open as well—next.
Nadal was particularly pleased with his first set effort on Thursday night in Paris.
“I think I played a great first set, one of the best of the clay court season, in my opinion,” he said. “No mistakes, high intensity, winners, playing long. I don't know. Have been a great first set.”
Remarkably, Nadal improves to 17-0 lifetime against Gasquet. Nadal and Gasquet join five other matchups that ended their head-to-head at 17-0.
17-0 lifetime, ATP Open Era History
Borg v Gerulaitis 17-0
Djokovic v Monfils 17-0
Federer v Ferrer 17-0
Federer v Youzhny 17-0
Lendl v Mayotte 17-0
Nadal v Gasquet 17-0
“Of course it's better to win 16 in a row than lose 16 in a row, no?” Nadal said. “When you go to the match and you have been winning all the last 16 times, of course the confidence is a little bit higher than when you have a tougher head-to-head, no?”
Gasquet and his one-handed backhand have always been troubled by Nadal and his topspin forehand—it’s no secret.
“He's the only guy who is playing like that with his forehand topspin,” Gasquet said. “So it was really hard for me to play.”
A Dark Day for French Tennis
Gasquet loss was to be expected, but the misery of the French men at Roland-Garros was not. For the first time in the Open Era not a single French man or woman has made the third round.
It is also the first time since 2007 Wimbledon that not a single Frenchman has made the third round of a men’s singles draw at a Slam.
“Of course it's the end of an era,” Gasquet said. “I'm 35. Tsonga is 36, Simon is 37, and Gael is 35. So it's normal. We are still there. It's incredible for us to play Roland Garros.
We need more players to come. But for us, you know, it's even great to be there. Of course we are a great generation. I hope it will be the same for the French future. Now's a little bit difficult, but we have to, yeah, we have to see who's coming and I hope many players will come in the future.”