Wednesday will inevitably be marked by an unprecedented duel on the circuit between Richard Gasquet and Andrey Rublev. The Frenchman, a huge outsider, has a great card to play against the number 2 seed. Indeed, if the Frenchman were to get past Rublev, he would be on the fast track to the final.
Of course, that's easier said than done, because he's quite a customer. Andrey Rublev is ranked 7th in the world. He has eight titles to his name and is coming off a semi-final in Rotterdam, where he only lost to eventual winner Felix Auger-Aliassime. At only 24 years of age, Rublev has already reached four Grand Slam quarter-finals and is an integral part of the generation known as the "NextGen". Along with Medvedev and Khachanov, he completes this trio of the best Russians, those who are shaking up the entire tennis world. They are also the Davis Cup title holders.
The task is going to be tough, but as mentioned at the beginning of this article, Richard has nothing to lose. And a Gasquet without pressure can be particularly dangerous. "You just have to see Rafa in Australia! Of course, Richard is no Rafa, but that's not too bad. And Rublev is no Medvedev.
In all, five singles matches are scheduled for Wednesday on the courts of the Palais des Sports in Marseille, as well as three doubles. The number one seeded team, the Franco-French pair of Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert, fresh from their title win in Montpellier, will be in action. They will be joined by another Frenchman, Gaston-Rune, who is not really an experienced pair.
