Share

Gasquet joins 400-club

London - Richard Gasquet became only the third Frenchman in the Open era to win 400 singles matches after defeating Italian qualifier Simone Bolelli in the Queen's Club first round on Monday.

The world number 19, who was back in action for the first time since his French Open last-16 exit against Novak Djokovic, joins Yannick Noah (476) and Fabrice Santoro (470) in the select group of Frenchmen to reach the landmark after his 6-1 6-2 win in west London.

The 28-year-old is one of 13 active players to have won at least 400 matches and his reward for reaching that notable landmark is a second round tie against Canadian third seed Milos Raonic or British wildcard James Ward at the Wimbledon warm-up event.

Former Wimbledon and US Open semi-finalist Gasquet needed only 57 minutes to secure a sixth successive win against Bolelli, continuing a solid year for the Frenchman, who has already won ATP titles in Estoril and Montpellier in 2015.

Jimmy Connors, the retired American great, holds the record for most match wins on the men's tour with 1 254.

Results from the first day of the ATP Queen's Club tournament on Monday (x denotes seeding):

First round

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP) 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4)

Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-1, 6-2

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2250 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE