Very nice clearing up at Roland Garros. The young French Hugo Gaston, 20 years old and 239th in the world, took out Nishioka in four sets to reach the third round where he will find Wawrinka.
It is a performance all the more remarkable as it comes in a very gloomy week for French tennis. While there are only four tricolor representatives left in the men’s table, one of them clinched his first qualification for the third round. And it is not the one we expected, namely Hugo Gaston, who is only playing his first Roland-Garros.
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A real achievement
Invited by the organizers, the 20-year-old has just justified his wild card, unlike most of his compatriots. Winner in the first round of his compatriot Maxime Janvier (7-6 6-4 6-3), he only needed one more round to get rid of the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, 52nd in the world and surprise winner of Félix Auger- Aliassime in the first round.
The Frenchman had held his break in the first set before winning a much more confused second set, made of breaks and debreaks, in the decisive game, after saving three set points. In the third set, Gaston chased after the score before giving up in the last game. It was much easier in the last set, won 6-2 in 33 minutes, on a magnificent passing offering a prestigious victory in three hours of play. (6-4 7-6 3-6 6-2).
??? YES! What passing from Hugo Gaston to conclude the match against Nishioka! The Frenchman delivered an XXL performance and offered himself a ticket for the 3rd round (6/4 7/6 3/6 6/2) …# RG20 pic.twitter.com/aSutPVcjwi
– France tv sport (@francetvsport) September 30, 2020
And now Wawrinka
In the third round, the winner of the recent Youth Olympics will face former tournament winner Stan Wawrinka. Earlier, the Swiss defeated the German Dominik Koepfer in four sets as well (6-3 6-2 3-6 6-1). It will be another kettle of fish for Gaston. Roland-Garros finds a very nice corner of blue sky on this Wednesday afternoon.
