Richard Gasquet admitted he used to fear Rafael Nadal but also highlighted that wasn’t the case in one of their first meetings that came at the Monte Carlo Masters.
20 years ago, an 18-year-old Gasquet stunned Roger Federer to reach the Monte Carlo semifinal. Then, he met Nadal, who was also 18. While the Frenchman made a strong start and came only a set away from booking a final spot, he ultimately fell just short of his bid after the Spaniard came back to win 6-7 6-4 6-3.
That year Nadal lifted his maiden Monte Carlo Masters title and started his journey to becoming a record 11-time champion at the tournament.
Gasquet: I didn’t fear Nadal in 2005 and I felt I could beat him in Monte Carlo
“I knew him from a young age, so I didn’t fear him. I have to say that at the end of my career, I feared him much more than at the beginning here in 2005,” the 38-year-old Frenchman told Eurosport.
“My results weren’t favorable against him, but here in 2005, I felt I could beat him. I didn’t come close, and then, as time went on, he became stronger. He beat me more and more easily. But in that match, I knew I could beat him. The whole match, I thought I was going to win. He was already a huge player and he had played a great match to win, but I was disappointed.”
The 2005 Monte Carlo meeting was the second matchup between Gasquet and Nadal. Before the Spaniard retired, they met 16 more times and the Spanish tennis icon was victorious in each of those meetings and finished with a stunning 18-0 record against the Frenchman.
Early on in their rivalry, the Frenchman managed to at least draw Nadal into some three-setters. But all of their matches that came after their 2008 Toronto Masters clash, finished in straight sets.
Meanwhile, Gasquet is still active and making his 12th main draw appearance in the Principality this week.
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