France sends five to third round at Wimbledon
June 27, 2008
In tennis, France’s French Open showing is forgotten as five French players advance to third Wimbledon round.
Five men from France will represent their country on British soil in the men’s singles in the Wimbledon tennis championship’s third round. This number rivals that of spain and Germany, also advancing five players.
In Friday’s Wimbledon action, Richard Gasquet, Paul-Henri Mathieu, Gilles Simon and Arnaud Clement joined Marc Gicquel, who had qualified to advance to the next round on Wednesday. 8th seed Richard Gasquet benefited from the forfeit due to injury fifty-four minutes into the match of fellow Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, who had been leading 2 sets to zero (6-2 6-2). Gasquet credited his relaxed and confident performance on grass to his new trainer, Guillaume Peyre, whom he credited with giving him a “boost.” Richard Gasquet will next face another French rival, 28th-ranked Gilles Simon, who beat Argentina’s Agustin Calleri, 49th in the world, in four sets (5-7 6-2 6-3 6-4). Simon expressed elation at his advancement, and respect for his upcoming opponent, who has beaten him twice.
14th-ranked Paul-Henri Mathieu outclassed his junior compatriot Jeremy Chardy, 108th worldwide, in three set (6-3 7-5 7-6) for his advancement. In the third round, the Frenchman will face Croatian Marin Cilic, who battled through five sets before eliminating the Finn Jarkko Nieminen, number 24 worldwide. The upcoming match will be the fourth time in two months - and the third week in a row on grass - that the two men will clash.
Arnaud Clement, 145th worldwide, dominated German Benjamin Becker, victor over Nikolay Davydenko in the first round in three sets 7-6, 7-6, 6-3. This will be his first appearance in a Grand Slam since the 2005 US Open. Clement will play Austrian Jürgen Melzer, 72nd in the world, for the first time in his career.
The only Frenchwoman in contention on Thursday lost in the second round in two sets 6-3 6-4 against Israeli Shahar Peer.
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