MONTE CARLO - On Wednesday, a packed field got the action underway at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, headlined by Frenchman Richard Gasquet’s emotional farewell to the tournament and Italian Lorenzo Musetti’s remarkable comeback win to set a clash with countryman Matteo Berrettini on Wednesday morning.
The fourth day of clay court action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters saw Frenchman Richard Gasquet making his final appearance at the tournament before retirement, opening play on Court Rainier III.
The 38-year-old dropped the first set to German Daniel Altmaier, regrouping into the second set to outshine his adversary in vintage mode, heading to a decider in style.
Ultimately, Gasquet said farewell to the event, putting up an outstanding battle against the German qualifier, who found his groove to notch a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 triumph in two hours and 36 minutes.
The former world number seven, who added 16 ATP titles to his name over a two-decade career, received a round of applause after the tournament displayed a video celebrating the Frenchman’s career, an emotional homage to a one-of-a-kind player.
For his part, world No. 84 Altmaier will next face second seed Carlos Alcaraz for the first time.
Meanwhile, 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti took on Czech Jiri Lehecka on Court des Princes.
Following a tough opener round in which the Italian rallied from a set down to overpower the Chinese player, Yunchaokete Bu, Musetti was back in action on Wednesday to meet the world No. 28, who took the first set by storm 6-1 in just 32 minutes.
After a poor display, the world No. 16 kicked level, putting up a fight to split the score one set apiece, keeping his chances of reaching the round of 16 alive by forcing a decider.
Musetti held off the Czech player in the big moments - Lehecka committed 51 unforced errors (8 double faults) to the Italian’s 27 overall to come out on top in three, reaching back-to-back Masters 1000 round of 16 appearances.
An all-Italian contest awaits the fans, who will see Musetti squaring off against compatriot Matteo Berrettini, fresh from claiming his biggest career win by ranking.
On Tuesday, the former world number six stunned top seed Alexander Zverev, emerging victorious after a colossal three-setter at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
Musetti and the former Wimbledon finalist are tied 1-1 in their series.
Elsewhere, Portuguese Nuno Borges went toe-to-toe with Spaniard Pedro Martinez, eventually earning a hard-fought battle in a balanced three-setter.
Next, he will take on defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, who survived a stern test, recovering from a set down to edge Australian Jordan Thompson.
The Greek is a three-time winner, aiming to become the second-most successful player in Monte-Carlo history, only behind 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal, by capturing a fourth crown at the prestigious event.
For his part, Martinez’s compatriot Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who kickstarted his run in The Principality by shocking 11th seed Ben Shelton on Monday, met a spirited opponent in Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 25-year-old, currently ranked at world No. 46, is striving to find his best tennis, which once saw him rise to a career-high No. 27.
A fierce competitor even when not at his best, he debuted with a victory over qualifier Corentin Moutet.
Building upon momentum, he broke in-form Davidovich Fokina early in a tight first set, which unfolded into a tiebreaker the Spaniard dominated to take control of play, securing a 7-5, 6-3 win just shy of two hours, setting a box office matchup with fifth seed Jack Draper.
Last March, the world number six captured his biggest career title, lifting his maiden Masters 1000 trophy at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Draper, 23, and the 2025 Abierto Mexicano Telcel finalist have never played one another on tour before.
