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Match details
Fixture: (2) Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet.
Date: 16 February 2022.
Tournament: Open 13 Provence 2022.
Round: Second round (Round of 16).
Venue: Marseille, France.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Indoor Hardcourt.
Prize money: €545,200.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | Canada - TSN | India - Tennis TV.
Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet preview
After an opening-round bye, second seed Andrey Rublev will take on home favorite Richard Gasquet in the second round of the 2022 Open 13 Provence on Wednesday.
Rublev's title defense at last week's Rotterdam Open came to an end in the semifinals. The Russian lost to eventual winner Felix Auger-Aliassime in three sets. Last month he made a third-round exit from the Australian Open, losing to 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic.
It's been almost a year since Rublev won his last singles title. During this period, he has been a finalist at the Monte Carlo Masters, the Cincinnati Masters and the Halle Open. Rublev also won the gold medal in mixed doubles at the Tokyo Olympics. In Marseille, the World No. 7 will be aiming to end his singles title drought.
Meanwhile, veteran Richard Gasquet is still doing quite well on the ATP tour, giving the youngsters a run for their money. His start to the 2022 season was unfortunate, as he had to pull out of the Melbourne Summer Set due to testing positive for COVID-19.
He competed at the Australian Open, winning his first-round match. However, he retired halfway through his second-round contest.
Gasquet bounced back impressively by reaching the quarterfinals of the Open Sud de France after a disappointing campaign Down Under. At the Open 13 Provence, he defeated Mikael Ymer 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the second round.
After losing his previous two matches against him, the Frenchman finally managed to get the better of Ymer on this occasion.
Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet head-to-head
At last year's Qatar Open, Gasquet gave Rublev a walkover which doesn't count as a win or loss for either player. So while this is their second scheduled match, the head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Andrey Rublev vs Richard Gasquet prediction
Rublev will be the favorite heading into this encounter as he has been the better player compared to Gasquet over the past year. In 2022, their records are almost even, with the World No. 7 compiling a 5-2 win loss record compared to 4-2 for the Frenchman.
Gasquet hasn't found much success against top 10 players over the last couple of years, winning just two of his 12 matches against them. Against Rublev, the veteran will need to put up an inspired performance to score an upset. His one-handed backhand remains his primary weapon and a treat for fans to watch, but his opponents rarely share the same sentiment.
At last week's Rotterdam Open, Rublev played quite well until his loss to Auger-Aliassime, who's playing incredibly this year. He might feel challenged by Gasquet at times, but should be able to subdue him and progress further into the tournament.
Prediction: Andrey Rublev to win in straight sets.
