Sport | Tennis
Gasquet delighted at French strength
Current World No 7 Richard Gasquet feels a healthy competition among his French peers will help him one day achieve greater heights in the world of tennis.
- By Alaric Gomes, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:47 March 3, 2008
Dubai: Current World No 7 Richard Gasquet feels a healthy competition among his French peers will help him one day achieve greater heights in the world of tennis.
"It is good to have young French tennis players who are able to push you and eventually help you achieve more than what you set out for," Gasquet said at a press meeting organised by French sponsor Lacoste.
Also present during the event was veteran French player Fabrice Santoro along with Patrick Chalhoub, CEO of the Chalhoub Group and Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free.
French players such as Gael Monfils and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga have been the emerging stars on the international scene with some sturdy performances in recent months.
Tsonga was the surprise package of this year's opening Grad Slam event, the Australian Open, where he lost in the final to Novak Djokovic.
Meanwhile Monfils - a former junior world No 1 - is currently ranked No 51 on the ATP Tour after reaching a career high of 23 in the middle of 2006.
"Having such players puts me under pressure and that, in turn, helps me perform to a much higher level," Gasquet admitted.
"It also means we can have a good and strong team for the Davis Cup.
Versatility
Gasquet is one of the new players known for his versatility on all types of surfaces.
His best performance at a Grand Slam event was a semifinal appearance during last year's Wimbledon where he lost to eventual champion Roger Federer.
"I felt sad that I could not play at the US Open last year, but then the French Open is always very special as it is my home tournament and I am under pressure to perform well. I am working towards winning a Grand Slam soon," Gasquet said.
He also recognises the areas of his game that require improvement.
"I need to be faster and I have to still put in a lot of hard work," he said. "Luckily, age is on my side," Gasquet added with a smile.
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