Court Patrice Dominguez is ready to witness the clash of two Frenchmen! Two experienced campaigners, Richard Gasquet and Adrian Mannarino will take on each other in the R32 of the Open Occitanie. Once known as the “little Mozart of French tennis,” Gasquet has already announced that he’ll take retirement from the sport after the 2025 French Open. The 38-year-old tennis has won 16 titles in his career so far. It’ll be interesting to see if he can add a few more before ending his 23-year-long career. Can he start his campaign in Montpellier with a win or will Mannarino deliver a massive upset against his compatriot?

Richard Gasquet vs Adrian Mannarino: Preview

Richard Gasquet reached the final of the Challenger Manama, BH last season. After that, he made two strong QF runs at the Murcia Open and the Estoril Open. His first title triumph in the 2024 season finally came at the Cassis Open Provence, where he defeated Austria’s Jurij Rodionov in the final by a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 score line. However, failing to carry his momentum through to the new year, Gasquet didn’t have a great start to his 2025 campaign. He couldn’t go past the qualifiers at both the Brisbane International and the Australian Open. Gasquet is entering this contest following his 6(4)-7, 3-6 loss to Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic in the AO qualifiers.

On the other side, Adrian Mannarino is entering this French duel following his early exit from the Challenger Quimper, FR. If we take a glimpse at his record in the last twelve months, Mannarino reached the SF of the Dallas Open last season. However, he was defeated by America’s Marcos Giron in that match by 1-6,3-6. Apart from that, he also made a few QF appearances in his next tournaments, including the one at the Chengdu Open. So, both Gasquet and Mannarino are entering this match following disappointing performances in their previous matches. It’ll be interesting to see who gets the edge in this epic battle – but their H2H has quite a tell!

Gasquet vs Mannarino: Head-to-Head

Both these players have met each other four times in their careers so far. Currently, Richard Gasquet has a lead of 3-1 over Adrian Mannarino. Can Mannarino pull one back in his favor in their fifth encounter?

• 2024 Aix-en-Provence R16: Gasquet 6-2,6-2.
• 2023 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati R64: Mannarino 6-4,6-3.
• 2016 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati R64: Gasquet 7-6(2),3-6,6-1.
• 2011 Australian Open R64: Gasquet 6-3,7-6(4),6-4.

Prediction: Gasquet to win in three sets

Both these players come up with a vast experience on the Tour. So, this is a battle that will keep the spectators on the edge of their seats. However, Richard Gasquet’s spin-heavy hitting style of hitting is perhaps a bad matchup for someone like Adrian Mannarino, who is notorious for his ultra-flat groundstrokes. Having said that, Mannarino may get some advantage from the playing conditions in Montpellier. The courts in Montpellier are not particularly fast by the standards of indoor European hard courts. 

So, fasten your seatbelts for an exciting show featuring these two Frenchmen. If we take a look at the numbers, Richard Gasquet (132) had a win-loss record of 4-14 last season, while Adrian Mannarino (108) had a win-loss record of 16-31. Since, numbers don’t seem to be that impressive for these players, what about their playing styles?

Adrian Mannarino is a strong defensive baseliner and counterpuncher. He is remarkably good at redirecting pace and putting his opponents in uncomfortable positions. He often makes use of his lefthanders’ serve to create unique angles and runs his opponents from side to side. Apart from that his speed, agility, and consistency from the baseline make him a real threat on the court. Mannarino also has the ability to wear down and outsmart his opponents during matches.

Richard Gasquet is an all-court player who is mainly known for his complete and elegant game as well as a superb single-handed backhand. But his forehand is on the weaker side and is generally less consistent and slower. His backhand is consistent, fast, and accurate. The veteran Gasquet’s incredible ability to create pace and angles with the backhand from anywhere on the baseline, coupled with a heavy top spin means he can be problematic for opponents. Apart from that, his versatility in returning difficult shots to his backhand with various methods, whether by the slice, topspin angles, or heavy power is truly exceptional. And the cherry on top: his drop shots that come at the drop of a hat!

Considering all these factors and keeping their experience of playing at the bigger matches in mind, we’re expecting Richard Gasquet to win this French duel in Montpellier. However, having said that Mannarino may also come up with a sturdy challenge against the veteran! Stay tuned for more updates as the match goes underway!