Cincinnati (USA) (AFP)

Richard Gasquet, 56th in the world, qualified for the semi-finals of the Cincinnati tournament by beating Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut, 11th overall, 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-2, Friday , a first for the French in Masters 1000 since Miami in 2013.

"I had not played for six months, it's huge to be back here and in the semifinals at age 33. I was a little apprehensive when I came back, but I'm happy to be here because I do not have many years left to play, "reacted Richard Gasquet, referring to his hamstring surgery in January 2019.

"It's crazy to be in the semifinals in Cincinnati for the first time, and at my age," added the Frenchman, who has already won 15 titles in his career, the last dating back to 2018, on sod turf -Hertogenbosch.

For a place in the final, he will face the Belgian David Goffin (19th world) who took advantage of the package of the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka (sick) before his quarter-final. "Goffin is a hard guy to play, one of the fastest in the bottom of the court, so I'm going to get ready for battle and fight, and I'll be ready," the Frenchman said of his future. opponent. Gasquet and Goffin are at a victory everywhere in their confrontations.

Thanks to this premiere, Gasquet also took his revenge on Bautista Agut, who beat him in the round of 16 at the Masters 1000 in Montreal last week. But the Spaniard still leads their confrontations 4 to 2.

Gasquet, who took a little time to get into the game, was then very aggressive on his shots, whether in forehand or reverse side of the field. He even allowed some rises to the net to conclude the points.

If he committed more double faults than his opponent (5/3), he managed more aces (8/6) and took the best on the second service balls with 81% points scored against 47% to his opponent. On the other hand, Bautista Agut was more successful in the first ball (63% against 54% in Gasquet).

"My energy was a bit low after the second set, so I continued to fight as best I could, I beat him hard and I played offensive," Gasquet said.

Another Frenchman, Lucas Pouille, has to face in the evening the Serb Novak Djokovic, N.1 world.

- Barty at a match of the N.1 -

In the women's draw, World No. 2 Ashleigh Barty of Australia qualified for the semi-finals by beating Greece's Maria Sakkari, 33rd overall, 5-7, 6-2, 6-0, after 1:44 am 'trades.

"I just tried to play every point and stay in the game, she was amazingly good and managed an ace each time I was in the breaker position, I'm in the semifinal here for the first time" commented Barty.

She has only one match to win to become N.1 world after the abandonment of Naomi Osaka, current queen of the women's circuit. The Japanese was indeed forced to throw in the towel against Sofia Kenin while the American led their quarter-final 6-4, 1-6, 2-0. She had had a strapping on her left knee a short time ago.

Barty, victorious at the last Roland-Garros, will face in the next round Svetlana Kuznetsova, 153rd in the world at 34 after having been N.2 worldwide in September 2010. The Russian, who won Roland-Garros (2009) and the US Open ( 2004), dominated the Czech Karolina Pliskova, N.3 World at 27, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3.

The generation confrontation promises, especially as Barty, 24 years old as his great friend Sakkari, has the opportunity to go to the US Open as the world N.1.

© 2019 AFP