US Open 2022: Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match Details
Fixture: (2) Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet.
Date: September 3, 2022.
Tournament: US Open 2022.
Round: Third round (Round of 32).
Venue: New York, United States.
Category: Grand Slam.
Surface: Hard.
Prize money: $60,102,000.
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & ESPN2 | Canada - TSN | UK - Amazon Prime Video | India - Sony Liv, Sony Ten & Sony Six.
Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet preview
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal will square off against World No. 91 Richard Gasquet in the third round of the 2022 US Open on Saturday.
Nadal kicked off his quest for a 23rd Major title with a four-set win over Rinky Hijikata. His second-round foe was World No. 60 Fabio Fognini. The Italian previously defeated him in the third round of the 2015 US Open after staging a comeback from two sets down.
Fognini was the better player at the start of the match. He jumped to a 3-1 lead in the opening set. After a hold of serve from Nadal, the Italian won the next three games to take the set. The second set started with five breaks of serve between them.
Fognini was the first to hold and was 4-2 up, but Nadal found his rhythm and reeled off four games in a row to clinch the set. The two remained steady on serve at the start of the third set but traded breaks midway through it. The former World No. 1 eventually came out on top to bag another set.
With momentum firmly on Nadal's side, he raced to a 3-0 lead in the fourth set. Fognini managed a hold of serve to make it 3-1, but the Spaniard claimed the next three games to win the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
VAMOS https://t.co/6xxFhV4pJC
Following the opening-round win over Taro Daniel, Richard Gasquet was up against 32nd seed Miomir Kecmanovic in the second round. The Frenchman started the match on a strong note as he was 3-0 up in no time. His younger opponent was unable to catch up to him and the 36-year-old secured another break of serve to take the set.
The second set was off to a similar start as Gasquet led 3-0. However, when he stepped up to serve for the set at 5-3, he dropped his serve despite having a couple of set points. Nevertheless, the Frenchman broke Kecmanovic's serve in the following game to clinch the set.
The Serbian started to show some signs of a fightback. Despite some resistance from Gasquet, he was able to win the third set. He led by a break in the fourth set as well but squandered his advantage.
Gasquet soon leveled the score and broke his opponent's serve in the final game of the match to win 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet head-to-head
The two are familiar rivals, with Nadal having a perfect 17-0 head-to-head record. He won their previous meeting at the 2021 French Open in straight sets.
Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet odds
(All odds sourced from BetMGM)
Rafael Nadal vs Richard Gasquet prediction
Given their lop-sided head-to-head record, Nadal will be the favorite to win this contest. However, the Spaniard's game wasn't up to the mark in the second round against Fognini. He committed 37 unforced errors and the number could've been higher if his opponent had not started making mistakes as well.
While this could be Gasquet's best chance of finally getting a win over Nadal, the Frenchman will have to play the match of his life. Even when he's not at his best, the former World No. 1 is a force to be reckoned with.
Gasquet has tried it all but hasn't managed to overcome Nadal. 13 of their 17 matches have been decided in straight sets. The Frenchman hasn't won a set against him since 2008, so to win three in a single match is going to be a tall order. Expect the Spaniard to maintain his winning record against Gasquet.
Pick: Rafael Nadal to win in straight sets.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Results