Dustin Brown appeared on his way to his first ATP World Tour final on Saturday, but top seeded Richard Gasquet pulled off an escape act to advance to Sunday's Open Sud de France final. Gasquet defeated Brown 1-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Brown Shocks Gasquet Early
The first set turned into the Dustin Brown show after a trade of service holds to open the match. In game three, Gasquet fell back 15-40 on his own serve. He would fight off two break chances to get back to deuce, but it was Brown who would come through on his third try as he broke for a 2-1 lead. Brown would consolidate to a quick 3-1 lead. The top seed from France would continue his poor play in his own service games in the next game. Gasquet again was forced to fight off a pair of break points, only to see Brown convert on a third for a 4-1 lead. Gasquet would continue to be out of sorts on serve in the seventh game as Brown would break a third time to close the set. The top seed was woeful on serve, winning just 13 of 31 service points. Brown was solid with six aces and he won 12 of 17 points on serve.
Second Set Sees Gasquet Fall Behind Again
The top seed looked to be in major trouble by the second game. After Brown held easily to open, Gasquet was broken at-love. The German qualifier would follow up with a hold as he quickly opened a 3-0 lead and looked to be on his way to his first ATP final. Gasquet finally found some rhythm on serve in game four with a relatively easy hold. Perhaps sensing how close he was, Brown inexplicably was broken at-love in the next game after not facing a break point in the entire match prior to that moment. It was new life for Gasquet who would break a suddenly shaky Brown again en route to winning five straight games to lead 5-3. The top seed would have to fend off a break point while serving for the set in the 10th game, but was able to hold as he finished an amazing comeback from the brink of elimination to even the match at one set each.
Wasted Opportunity Weighs on Brown
As with many players, a wasted lead appeared to weigh on Dustin Brown's game in the third set. He fought through deuce in the opening game to hold to 1-0. Gasquet seemed reinvigorated by his second set rally as he matched the hold and then went to work on the German's serve. The top seed would break in the third game and that was all he needed to power his way through to the final. Brown would be broken once more in the final game as Gasquet closed out the 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 win in an hour and 40 minutes. Gasquet would win 16 of 20 service points in the final set, while Brown scuffled in winning just 19 of 36 despite seven aces. Gasquet will appear in his fourth straight Open de Sud France final on Sunday. He is 2-1 in those previous finals.
Unlikely Pairing Settles Other Semifinal
This week has been tough on the French tennis fans in Montpellier with seeds Gilles Simon, Benoit Paire and Gael Monfils crashing out early. They have been rewarded though with two Frenchmen in the final. Paul-Henri Mathieu was certainly an unlikely candidate to make it this far. He opened his own route to the final though by upsetting Paire in the second round. That led him to Saturday's semifinal against talented teen Alexander Zverev. Zverev had crafted his own big upset early on by knocking out second seed Marin Cilic. Zverev and Mathieu were facing off for the fourth time with the German teen having won twice in those previous three clashes.
Mathieu Edges First Set in Long Tiebreak
The opening set looked like a quick one for Mathieu after he broke Zverev in the second game. By the seventh though, they would be back on serve as the German kept pushing through. Ultimately, the set would go to a tiebreak. Both players would see multiple set points in the lengthy 24 point breaker. None of the first six set points would come on serve however as each player was able to fight back into the breaker on-serve to 11-11. Zverev would blink first as Mathieu took the only point off his serve in the breaker and then closed out for a thrilling 13-11 tiebreak win. Both players ended the opening set with exactly 44 points won.
Zverev Fights Back in Second Set, Mathieu Has Last Laugh
The second set rolled by on serve through six games. Zverev would be the first to drop serve as Mathieu took control at 4-3 and backed it up with a service hold. The Frenchman would have an opportunity to serve for the set at 5-4. The 10th game would feature a tense battle with Zverev clinging to life in the match as he forced four deuces, survived a match point and finally converted a fourth break chance in the game to pull even at 5-5. The battle appeared to take something out of the German as Mathieu broke right back and then finished the teen off in the 12th game for a 7-6 (11), 7-5 victory.
Notes on Sunday's Final
The win puts Mathieu in position to try and win his first ATP World Tour title since 2007. The 34-year-old will be playing his first ATP final since last August in Kitzbuhel, Austria. For Gasquet, it will be his 25th tour-level final. That puts him into rare company with only Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Tommy Haas and Juan Martin Del Potro having made that many finals among active players. Gasquet will be seeking his 13th career title.