Novak Djokovic has said that he respects Frenchman Richard Gasquet, who he feels is a talented player. (Getty Images)
French veteran Richard Gasquet will lock horns with 2020 US Open champion Dominic Thiem in the round of 32 of Metz 2022.
The Austrian tennis pro returned to action in March after being sidelined due to a wrist injury for a number of months. Thiem lost seven matches in a row before reaching the round of 16 at the Challenger event in Salzburg. He managed to reach the quarterfinals at the Swedish Open and the Swiss Open semifinal. Thiem made it to the Austrian Open quarterfinal and the round of 16 of the Winston-Salem Open.
The US Open campaign ended quickly for Thiem as he lost in the first round against Pablo Carreno Busta. He managed to come back strongly at the Rennes Challenger and reached the final before losing to Ugo Humbert. However, the promising signs he showed as the season progressed will certainly hold him in good stead.
At the Geneva Open, the 36-year-old defeated then World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev en route to reaching the semifinals. He also made it to the quarterfinals at the Grand Prix Hassan II, the Estoril Open, and the Winston-Salem Open.
The former finalist at Metz progressed to the third round at the US Open. He faced the legendary Rafael Nadal and the 22-time Grand Slam champion won in a canter. He has shown on many occasions this season that he can hang in with the best. Thiem will have to be wary as his upcoming opponent can use his experience to overcome crunch situations.
Richard Gasquet has a 2-1 lead over Dominic Thiem in the head-to-head.
Prediction: Dominic Thiem to win in three sets.
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