On the other hand, his compatriot Hugo Gaston was eliminated in two sets, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, by the great Dutchman Tim Van Rijthoven (1m95), 205th player in the world, in the other half of the table.

Mannarino, 33, the 70th player in the world, was on course to win the first set by leading 4-1 then 5-2 in the decisive game, but then he conceded five points in a row, with a warning for a throw in the process. racket at 5-5.

The French left-hander recovered well to win the second set 6-1 then he managed the decisive round well, leading from start to finish to finally win 6-4 in just over two hours against the young American ( 20 years old), 64th in the ATP ranking.

Mannarino, who won the only title of his career on Dutch grass in 2019 - the 2020 and 2021 editions were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic - will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, Novak's runner-up in the semi-finals Djokovic in the ATP ranking, who disposed of Belarusian Ilya Ivashka (49th) 7-6 (10/8), 6-4.

A little earlier, on the same court, Gaston, 66th player in the world, played for the first time a quarter-final on grass in an ATP Tour tournament.

He resisted well in the first set, with a lot of drop shots, but dropped in the tie-break, lost 7-2.

A great clay court fan and darling of the Roland-Garros public, Gaston then lost his serve in the middle of the second set, at 3-3, and never managed to recover this handicap against the 25-year-old Dutchman.

Van Rijthoven will be opposed in the semi-final to the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, 9th in the world, winner of the Russian Karen Khachanov (23rd) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.

© 2022 AFP