A couple of weeks after stunning Novak Djokovic in Indian Wells, Botic van de Zandschulp suffered a heavy loss in the first round of the ATP 250 event in Bucharest. Botic experienced a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 loss to Richard Gasquet in two hours and 19 minutes.
The French veteran is competing in Bucharest for the last time, 21 years after debuting in Romania. The 38-year-old trailed 6-4, 4-1 after less than 70 minutes. He managed to climb back and turn the tables, taking the second set with a late break and forcing a decider.
Gasquet dominated the final part of duel despite having little left in the tank, notching his 608th ATP victory and the first of the season against the rivals from top-100.
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Richard claimed 11 points more than Botic thanks to the final set. We saw 25 break points and the more efficient performance behind the second serve from the French. Gasquet denied six of ten break points and converted six of 15 chances on the return to emerge at the top.
They stayed neck and neck from the baseline and at the net. Richard created a 23-14 buffer in service winners, which helped him move over the top. The Dutchman served well in the opening set and kept the pressure on the other side.
Van de Zandschulp created a break chance in the seventh game of the opener and seized it after Gasquet's backhand mistake. The Frenchman denied three set points on serve in game nine before the Dutchman closed the opener with a hold at love at 5-4 with a service winner.
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Botic landed a crafty drop shot at the beginning of the second set for an early break. He served well and landed a powerful forehand in the fifth game for another break and a 4-1 advantage. Standing on the verge of defeat, Richard pulled one break back in the sixth game after seizing the fourth break chance.
Van de Zandschulp experienced another break in the eighth game. He squandered five game points in the eighth game and experienced a break after a loose drop shot. Gasquet got broken again in the ninth game, and his rival served for the win at 5-4.
Richard made one last push and created three break chances. He seized the last with a backhand return winner, locking the result at 5-5 and extending the battle. The Frenchman stepped in on the return at 6-5 and grabbed a break at 15 after the rival's forehand error.
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Thus, the veteran grabbed his fourth straight break and stole the set 7-5 to introduce a decider. Botic lost the ground and lost his serve in the second game after a double fault. Gasquet held at love in the third game with a backhand down the line winner.
The former top-10 star delivered another break in the fourth game after van de Zandschulp's double fault, forging a 4-0 advantage. The Dutchman created two break points at 1-5 with a drop shot winner. He missed them with errors and faced a match point after the Frenchman's service winner.
Richard seized it with a service winner, moving over the top and notching his second ATP win of the season.
