At Wimbledon, Pouille qualifies, and so does Gaston!
Lucas Pouille is doing better. After a rather chaotic start to the season, the 30-year-old is gradually regaining his consistency. After winning the clay-court title at Mauthausen, he had a brilliant qualifying campaign this week in London.
Not conceding a single set on the course, the Frenchman secured his place in the final draw with a solid performance. After two very convincing first rounds, he perfectly dominated his compatriot Luca Van Assche on Thursday (7-6, 7-5, 6-2 in 2 hrs 24).
Reassuringly, Pouille is now set to play a Grand Slam match for the first time since Roland Garros 2023, when he lost in the second round.
For his part, Van Assche remains on hold. Seeded number 6, he could well be drafted into the main draw, depending on the number of withdrawals.
Meanwhile, Hugo Gaston, ranked 70th in the world and seeded number 2 in his qualifying round, has also booked his place in the final draw. Despite his reputation for a relative lack of ease on grass, the Frenchman managed to hold his ground and qualify.
Facing Kukushkin (132nd), the man from Toulouse did the essential. Without offering a match of the highest level, he was solid enough to win in over 2 h 30 of play (6-2, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1).
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