Italy's Jannik Sinner, left, speaks to retiring opponent Richard Gasquet after Sinner's victory in their second round match at the French Open. Photo: ALAIN JOCARD/AFP
World number one Jannik Sinner sent Frenchman Richard Gasquet into retirement with a 6-3 6-0 6-4 hammering in the battle of generations at the French Open to ease into the third round.
It was the second time in as many years in Paris that the 23-year-old beat local hero Gasquet, who said he would end his career that started over two decades ago and yielded 16 tour-level singles titles after his home Grand Slam.
With his team watching on in matching white T-shirts that read "Merci Richard" the 38-year-old Gasquet soaked up his ovation and video messages from peers including Novak Djokovic and the recently retired Rafa Nadal on the big screen.
"I'd like to thank Jannik for his kindness and the player that he is and I know he'll have a great career," Gasquet said.
"I have great memories with all of you. You all supported me in defeat and victory ... I began playing in a club in the south and travelled and played across France. So I remember all the tournaments I played in, not just Roland Garros.
"We always had a welcome here that was extraordinary. I'd like to thank the federation. Tennis finishes for me today."
Gasquet, who made his French Open debut in 2002 when top seed Sinner was still in a crib, drew huge roars from the Court Philippe Chatrier crowd when he unleashed his single-handed backhand on the Italian early in the match.
Fans were slightly more subdued when Sinner raced ahead 4-1 and won the opening set, before they were almost silenced when he dished out a bagel in the next set to leave Gasquet with a mountain to climb.
Sinner faced more resistance in the first eight games of the next set as Gasquet mounted an unlikely comeback attempt, but he broke for a 5-4 lead and promptly closed out the match, before paying tribute to his opponent.
"We have a good relationship off the court. We're different generations, but it's your moment," Sinner said.
"Congrats to your family, your team. Without great people around each player, it's impossible to make such an incredible career. You played in such an incredible era of tennis and everyone will recognise you, even after your retirement."
Victory ensured US and Australian Open champion Sinner became the first man born in 1990 or later to record 16 straight wins at Grand Slams. He will next play Czech Jiri Lehecka.
Gauff marches into third round
US Coco Gauff plays a backhand return to Czech Republic's Tereza Valentova during their women's singles match at the French Open. Photo: DIMITAR DILKOFF/AFP
Second seed Coco Gauff moved into the French Open third round by beating unseeded Czech Tereza Valentova 6-2 6-4 although the American did not have things all her own way.
Gauff came under threat from the 18-year-old Valentova's powerful serve but found a way past her thanks to her relentless returning and powerful groundstrokes.
"She's very young and I knew it would be a tough match," 2022 runner-up Gauff said.
The 21-year-old took the opening set in 35 minutes but a string of service breaks, three in total, made the second a lot more competitive as her Czech opponent refused to go down quietly.
Gauff, a finalist in Madrid and Rome this year, will next take on Marie Bouzkova.
Djokovic reaches third round
Three-time champion Novak Djokovic battled past Frenchman Corentin Moutet 6-3 6-2 7-6 (1) in a match that lasted more than three hours to reach the third round and stay on track for a record-breaking 25th career Grand Slam title.
Moutet pushed the 38-year-old, who shares the Slam record with Australia's Margaret Court, especially in the third set where he carved out a set point.
"Mentally you have to be concentrated throughout such a match. Corentin is very quick, he is a fighter, especially in the third set," Djokovic said in a post-match interview.
"He had set point. At that moment anything could happen but I stayed in the set. At the right time I found a good serve.
"I know everyone asks me the secrets of success. It is not one thing but a combination, a formula that evolved with my career. For me now it is important to find the motivation. Obviously motivation now is to make more history."
Djokovic, who looks to have found his form after splitting with coach Andy Murray a few weeks ago, snatched another two breaks to go 5-2 up and bagged the second set on his serve.
Moutet, ranked 73rd in the world, managed to break his opponent's serve and go 4-2 up after Djokovic took a medical timeout for treatment on the toes of his left foot.
But he gifted it back the very next game before earning a set point at 6-5. Djokovic held firm and secured his third round spot with a commanding tiebreak performance.
He will next face either Canada's Denis Shapovalov or Austrian Filip Misolic in round three.
De Minaur calls for tennis calendar to be tightened
In the men's draw, a fatigued Alex De Minaur lost his second round match and called for the tennis calendar to be shortened, warning that a failure to take action soon could result in players burning out physically and mentally.
The season kicked off with the United Cup mixed team tournament in December, 33 days after the Davis Cup Finals ended in Spain, and the gruelling nature of the circuit has come under a harsh spotlight in recent years.
"No one's got a solution," De Minaur said after his 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 defeat by Alexander Bublik.
"But the solution is simple: you shorten the schedule, right? What's not normal is that for the last three, four years I've had two days off after the Davis Cup and I've gone straight into pre-season, straight into the new season again.
"Once you start, you don't finish until November 24. So it's never ending. The way it's structured ... I had to deal with that. I'm still dealing with that right now.
"The solution is you shorten (the tour), because what's going to happen is players' careers are going to get shorter and shorter because they're just going to burn out mentally. There's just too much tennis."
Twice French Open finalist Casper Ruud said after his shock exit this week that the ATP's ranking system was like a "rat race" and players felt compelled to compete in the men's tour's mandatory events even if they are carrying injuries.
The seventh seed lost to unseeded Nuno Borges, with the Norwegian saying he had been struggling with knee pain.
Kiwis through to second round
New Zealand's best doubles players, Michael Venus and Erin Routliffe, are through to the second round of the mixed doubles after beating Joe Salisbury of Britain and Tereza Mihalikova of Slovakia 7-5 6-3.
The fifth seeds will play Briton Neal Skupski and American Desirae Krawczyk in the second round on Saturday.
Venus and Nikola Mektić of Croatia will also be playing in the men's second round doubles on Saturday night, against Yuko Bhambri of India and American Robert Galloway.
Lulu Sun and Yuan Yue of China will play second seeds Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani of Italy in the second round of women's doubles on Saturday night.
Paolini and Errani beat Routliffe and former singles number one Victoria Azarenka in the first round.
- Reuters/RNZ Sport
