Gasquet: 'Roger Federer doesn't surprise me, his desire is still there'
Could Richard Gasquet be able to play until 37 years of age like Roger Federer is doing? "If I have his level at 37, I would sign right away! What sportsman plays like him at his age, even outside tennis? There are very few. He does not surprise me, his desire is still there, so he plays", Gasquet said in an interview to GQ France.
The Frenchman has been going through some tough months having undergone a groin surgery. He finished the 2018 season as a world No. 25 and still No. 1 for France. "It's not good at all", he admitted. "I was ranked No. 7 and finished in the Top 10 at the end of the year for four times. Jo Wilfried Tsonga was ranked #5, Gael Monfils #6. Now, it's not so good."
Asked what Lucas Pouille can achieve in the future, Gasquet replied: "He can win something. The generation that is in front will soon stop, he can slip in. At the Australian Open, he had to beat Djokovic then Nadal, it was too tough. Lucas has come back with his semi-final in Australia. I hope others will follow. But if he reaches a semifinal and he faces Stefanos Tsitsipas or Alexander Zverev, he can beat them."
On how he feels about Pouille, a man, being coached by a woman, Amelie Mauresmo, Gasquet concluded: "It's Amélie, she's strong, she has the experience, she knows the expectation put on players, she has the personality. It doesn't matter if it's a woman. It's someone valuable, that's what counts. I could be coached by her, no problem."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2WnUFEo
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