Hugo Gaston has caused one of the biggest shocks in recent French Open history as the 239th-ranked Frenchman outlasted Stan Wawrinka 2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0 in the third round on Court Suzanne Lenglen.
After Wawrinka had taken the opening set, Gaston struck back to claim the second and at 2-2 in the third, a two hour, 25-minute rain delay halted play. When they returned, the Frenchman won four of the last five games to take the lead.
The Swiss, champion in Paris in 2015, took the fourth to force a deciding set, which was dominated by Gaston as the wild card served up a fifth set bagel to reach the Round of 16 at a major for the first time.
Young Frenchman goes the distance to upset former champion
Gaston was able to keep pace early on, matching Wawrinka with a pair of holds early on. The Frenchman would be broken in the sixth game as the Swiss blasted a forehand that only found a weak reply to hand Wawrinka a 4-2 lead.
Two games later, a signature backhand by Wawrinka bulleted by an onrushing Gaston on set point gave the 16th seed a one-set lead. The 239th-ranked wild card held breakpoint after the Swiss missed on a backhand and he was ahead when Wawrinka sent a limp drop shot into the net.
Gaston was showing off his entire range of skills as he held for 4-2 with a drop shot and in his next service game, won it with a forehand down the line to put him within a game of the set at 5-3. He broke in the next game to level the match at one set all.
Wawrinka was taken to deuce in the second game of the third set before managing to hang on to make it 1-1 while Gaston battled through a tough game to go out in front 3-2. Back-to-back forehand winners gave the Frenchman a break and a 4-2 advantage.
Saving two break points in a titanic 16-point game, the world number 239 moved to within a game of the set and saving two more break chances when trying to serve it out, Gaston watched as Wawrinka flew a backhand well long to give the Frenchman a two sets to one lead.
Wawrinka broke in the second game of the fourth set after a slice forehand that Gaston had no answer for. After saving four break points to hold for 3-0, the Swiss saw his lead disappear as the wild card got back on serve at 4-3.
After saving two set points, Gaston missed on a forehand to give Wawrinka a third opportunity and he made no mistake, belting a backhand crosscourt for a winner to claim the set and square the match at two sets all.
The fifth set was shockingly one-sided as Gaston broke Wawrinka in all three service games with five of the six games overall featuring breakpoints. A backhand long gave him the first break, a forehand over the baseline the second, and after a third and on match point, am overhead smash unreturned gave the 20-year old a memorable win.
