Gasquet and Moutet beaten in Rome qualifiers, Muller goes for Nadal

Richard Gasquet and Corentin Moutet were defeated in the 2nd qualifying round of the Rome Masters 1000 on Tuesday. They were defeated respectively by Maximilian Marterer (6-3, 6-4) and Thiago Monteiro (6-3, 6-4). Both Frenchmen will therefore miss out on the final draw, unless they are drafted in as Lucky Losers in the event of the withdrawal of one of the 96 protagonists.

Alexandre Muller, on the other hand, brilliantly secured his ticket by defeating Moldovan Radu Albot (7-5, 6-2). He follows in the footsteps of Grégoire Barrère and Terence Atmane, who also qualified earlier in the day. All three are now among the 12 contenders to face Nadal in the 1st round, bringing the odds to 1 in 4 that a Blue will challenge the Spaniard on the Roman clay.