With the rain once again interrupting play at Wimbledon, Richard Gasquet and Albert Ramos-Vinolas were last up on court 18 on Saturday night and had to complete their match on the middle Sunday. They got through three sets before darkness ascended upon the match. The Frenchman was two sets to one up on the Spaniard when play resumed and came through 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-2, 6-3 in the end. Gasquet will go on to play compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who defeated John Isner in five sets.
Ramos-Vinolas dominates and clinches the opening set
In the opening game, Richard Gasquet was forced to save a break point from the Spaniard, however, a net cord on his second break point went the way of the Spaniard and broke the Frenchman. Ramos-Vinolas consolidated the break and went 0-2 up. The 28-year-old's start got even better when he hit a winner from his backhand side to fashion another break point chance. Gasquet's serve which is usually reliable let him down in this instance as he hit a double-fault and trailed 0-3.
Ramos-Vinolas consolidated once more and went a double break up. Gasquet never got going in the opening set with his footwork and backhand letting him down, but he managed to get on the board in the set for 1-4 after 15 minutes. Two games later and Ramos would be serving for the set. The Spaniard against the odds served it out to love for 2-6.
Gasquet levels in tiebreaker
The Frenchman's movement started to improve in the match, but Ramos-Vinolas was still dominating the seventh seed. With the score at 2-2, Gasquet was forced to win three points in a row from 0-30 down to go ahead at 3-2. In the following game, the world number 10 seed created his first break point chance of the match after hitting a running backhand winner. Ramos then hit an ace and brought the game to deuce.
The Spaniard saved one more break point en route to holding for 3-3. The following game would see Ramos with a break point of his own, however, Gasquet saved the point and went on to hold. After 50 minutes, Ramos-Vinolas held serve and took the second set to a tiebreaker. The 29-year-old Frenchman edged out the breaker 7-5 and clinched the set.
Gasquet ups his game, goes two sets to one up
Gasquet started moving more freely and dictate the points more. Both players held their opening service games to bring the set to 1-1. In the upcoming game, the unforced errors were creeping in Ramos' game and Gasquet took advantage. The Frenchman upped his game took Ramos to deuce before the Spaniard hit a forced error which then gave Gasquet break point.At the first time of asking, he broke and went 2-1 up. Gasquet went 3-1 up on the Spaniard and looked comfortable.
In the following game, Gasquet confirmed his dominance and with the score at 30-30, the world number 36 then hit an unforced error and gave Gasquet another chance of breaking. The Frenchman did break by hitting a forehand winner and went 4-1 up. He served an ace to consolidate the break for a 5-1 lead. Two games later and Gasquet served the set out at 6-2 following a backhand error from Ramos-Vinolas having had a set point saved in the previous game. Play was then interrupted due to darkness.
Breaks at start and end of match earn Gasquet the victory
Following darkness, the play resumed on the Middle Sunday with the Frenchman two sets to one up. Gasquet wasted no time in breaking Ramos. The world number ten seed ran away to a love-40 lead before confirming the break with a backhand winner. He would consolidate the break by once again hitting a backhand winner. At this point, Gasquet had turned the tables and was dominating play, making Ramos hit unforced errors and his movement was much better than the first set.
For the remainder of the set both players were holding serve easy with no trouble. With the score at 5-3 and Ramos serving to stay in the match, Gasquet decided it was time to up his game once again and at 15-15, Gasquet hit three backhands winners on the trot and set up three match points. Ramos-Vinolas saved one point with an ace, however, Gasquet closed the match out with a forehand winner and went through to round four.