Gasquet, Pouille and Bonzi in the second qualifying round at Brisbane, Blanchet eliminated after a good fight
As the main draw for the ATP 250 Brisbane tournament was drawn overnight, four French players are hoping to make it through the two qualifying rounds.
Such is the case for Richard Gasquet, who made no bones about his first match of his final season on the circuit.
The 38-year-old Frenchman had no trouble in defeating Australian wild card Derek Pham (6-1, 6-2 in 48 minutes).
He will now face Yannick Hanfmann, ranked 96th in the world, for a place in the main draw.
The same goes for Lucas Pouille, who upset Jason Kubler (4-6, 6-3, 7-6). He'll be aiming for a second straight win against Nishesh Basavareddy.
The third French player to emerge victorious from his first qualifying round was Benjamin Bonzi.
The 75th-ranked Frenchman showed no mercy against James McCabe, winning in two sets and 1h10 (6-3, 6-2).
On the other hand, Ugo Blanchet was eliminated. Facing Federico Agustin Gomez, the 25-year-old wasn't far from victory, but it was the Argentine who came out on top (3-6, 6-3, 7-5). The latter will face Dusan Lajovic in the second qualifying round.
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