Hubert Hurkacz Defeats Richard Gasquet in Straight Sets at Madrid Masters 2023

ParallelDesk 02:04:22 PM, 27 April 2023

The second round of the Madrid Masters featured an interesting matchup between the 12th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Richard Gasquet. The match took place on Friday, April 28, at the Caja Magica in Madrid, Spain. The tournament, which is classified as Masters 1000, was played on outdoor clay and featured a prize money of €7,705,780. World No. 15, Hurkacz, had a wonderful start to his season, winning two of his four matches at the United Cup Down Under. He continued his good form by reaching the Australian Open’s second week, where he won his first title of the year in Marseille before making it to the quarterfinals of the Dubai Open. Despite making early exits in Estoril, he bounced back with a Round of 16 finish in Monte-Carlo. Meanwhile, the 43rd-ranked Gasquet went into the game on the back of a win over Spaniard Martin Landaluce in his opener. The Frenchman had struggled on clay this season, with a record of 1-3. He started his season well by winning his 16th singles title in Auckland, followed by an inconsistent run of nine stops where he didn't win consecutive matches, stumbling in the opening round on four occasions. The two players had only met once previously at the Dubai Open Round of 32 two years ago, which Hurkacz had won. They had never before met on clay. However, the Pole had better odds going into the game, given his recent form. Both players played a baseline game, but Hurkacz had the edge in terms of the level of aggression that he had in his gameplay. His powerful serves, combined with his strong movement, and groundstrokes provided him with an edge over the Frenchman, who is clearly in the last leg of his career and has struggled to beat tougher opponents in big tournaments. Despite winning 163 matches on clay, Gasquet was unable to put up a formidable challenge and ended up losing the match. The second-round match saw Hurkacz beat the Frenchman in straight sets, 6-4 6-4, progressing to the next round of the tournament. The match will be crucial for Hurkacz, who will aim to make it further in the tournament and solidify his chances of progressing higher in the ATP rankings.