Schoolboy Gasquet passes Squillari exam with merit

Wearing the crocodile motif of one of the old French masters, René Lacoste, on his shirt with pride – and probably for a few euros – the 15-year-old Richard Gasquet made a remarkable debut at the Monte Carlo Open here yesterday. He defeated Franco Squillari, an experienced Argentinian, 7-6, 3-6, 7-5, after two hours and 25 minutes.

Having been given a wild card into the qualifying event and advanced to the main draw with a straight sets win against Adrian Voinea of Romania, Gasquet became the youngest player to win a match in a Masters Series tournament. The junior from Béziers refused to be denied by fatigue and a blistered finger, brightening a cold cloudy afternoon by displaying the qualities of a future champion in the making in overcoming 26-year-old Squillari, a top 50 player.

Trained from the age of four by his parents, both tennis teachers, Gasquet remained calm during several crises in the match and found the shots to lift his weariness. His armoury includes an impressive array of weapons, from deep, penetrating drives to drop shots. These, plus a reservoir of mental strength, combined to frustrate Squillari whenever the Argentinian seemed about to take control of the match.

At times it seemed that the decision to ask the teenager to play two days in a row might cost him the match. Returning to the Centre Court only 24 hours after his qualifying win against Voinea, Gasquet led 3-1 and 4-2 in the opening set, only for Squillari to force a tie-break. Gasquet won the shoot-out, 7-5, and then recovered from 1-4 to 3-4 in the second set.

Unable to hold serve for 4-4, Gasquet subsequently lost the set and was broken in the first game of the final set. He recovered, and led, 3-1, only to be broken twice for 3-4. It was then that Gasquet's resolve earned the crowd's admiration. He broke back immediately and then cracked Squillari's serve to love in the concluding game.

Watching Gasquet's progress from the press box were two shrewd judges of talent: Guillermo Vilas, the great Argentinian player, and Gunther Bosch, the Romanian who coached Boris Becker to spectacular early success. "Gasquet doesn't play exactly like the French school," Vilas said. "He is very good in the middle of the court and moves forward without rushing."

Bosch was impressed by the variety of Gasquet's game: "He can become a very good all-round player," he said. "He does not play with power, but with timing, and is good with the slice and the drop-shot. I think his game will also adapt well to grass."

Gasquet said it was natural for him to start tennis young given his parents' involvement in the sport. Last October he left southern France to be trained at the French Tennis Federation's academy at Roland Garros in Paris, home of the French Open.

"I'm very happy to have beaten a player ranked as high as Squillari," Gasquet said, "and I am also happy to have a day's rest before I play Marat Safin or Tommy Robredo next match."

Britain's Tim Henman, who meets Argentina's Guillermo Coria today in the singles, won his opening doubles match in partnership with the Frenchman Fabrice Santoro. They defeated Jan-Michael Gambill, of the United States, and Germany's Nicolas Kiefer, 6-1, 6-2.