TennisSection previews the 2022 Montpellier Open as Richard Gasquet takes on Soonwoo Kwon in the second round on Thursday, February 3rd, 2022.
Will Richard Gasquet secure back-to-back wins at the start of 2022? The Frenchman has a fine record at the Montpellier Open, but could be a slight underdog in his meeting against the powerful South Korean Soonwoo Kwon.
Richard Gasquet completed the quartet of French veterans in the Round of 16 at the Montpellier Open. With Monfils (a first-round bye), Tsonga and Gilles Simon all in ahead of schedule, Gasquet was last to join the fray as he produced a brilliant shot-making display under the roof to defeat compatriot Ugo Humbert for the second time this year. The first set lasted an hour and 20 minutes, going Humbert’s way in a tiebreak. And at that stage, it looked like Gasquet’s hopes of winning an unprecedented fourth title this week would be up in smoke. But the one-handed Frenchman would go into a different mode in the second and third sets. His classic offense forced Humbert to play one error too many.
Soonwoo Kwon, meanwhile, shocked Hugo Gaston on Tuesday at the Montpellier Open. The South Korean No. 1 recorded an emphatic 6-2 6-1 win in just 67 minutes. Kwon did not face a single break point in the entire match. For all the fawning and Gaston’s impressive toolbox of shots, he was second best in every department. Kwon outclassed the French lefty with his powerful ground strokes and excellent foot speed from the back of the court.
Soonwoo Kwon leads Richard Gasquet 1-0 in their head-to-head. That meeting was on the indoor hard courts of Antwerp three years ago – long before the South Korean rose through the ranks. Gasquet seems to find an extra gear when he plays at the Montpellier Open. He went toe-to-toe against an opponent almost 15 years younger for nearly three hours and managed to get the win. But it will be tough to replicate that performance in less than 24 hours against Kwon. I was particularly impressed by Kwon’s versatility in his win over Gaston. He absorbed everything Gaston threw at him like a sponge and his forehand is a moneyshot. Expect the World No. 55 to end Gasquet’s dreams of a potential fourth title in these parts.
Free Tennis Pick and Prediction: Soonwoo Kwon in straight sets.
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