Richard Gasquet turns back the clock to defeat Cam Norrie and lift title at ASB Classic

In one of his best performances in almost a decade, French veteran Richard Gasquet left it all on the court to upset second seed Cameron Norrie and lift the title at the 2023 ASB Classic on Saturday.

Gasquet rallied from a set down to score a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory over the World No.12, showcasing strength and determination that has been missing from his arsenal over the last few seasons.

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Norrie took an early lead in the opening set, racing to a 3-1 lead. However, Gasquet fought back to even the score. The Frenchman was unable to capitalize on his momentum, as his British opponent picked on his weaker second serve to secure another break and take the first set.

Gasquet seemed to right his mistakes in the second set, employing a near-flawless serving display to overwhelm Norrie. The former World No.7 won 13 of 14 points behind his first serve, and an impressive 70% of points on his second serve. Without facing a break point, Gasquet finally broke his opponent on the third time of asking and pushed the match to a decider.

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After close to two hours of play, Gasquet seemed to be running on fumes as the 36-year old fell into a 0-3 hole due to Norrie's unique style of attacking tennis. However, the Frenchman fought back, making fearless forays to the net as he leveled the score before obtaining the crucial break and closing out the match after almost two and a half hours of play.

Gasquet now heads into the Australian Open with confidence and momentum, as the World No.67 looks to make some noise after capturing his 16th ATP singles title.