Gaston and Herbert Join Muller in the Second Round in Marrakech
Two French players were on the courts this Tuesday for the first round of the ATP 250 tournament in Marrakech. Hugo Gaston and Pierre-Hugues Herbert faced two Argentine opponents, Juan Manuel Cerundolo and Federico Coria, respectively.
The player from Toulouse had a scare but ultimately prevailed against the world No. 128. Leading 5-1 with a double break in the first set, Gaston—who served twice to close out the set—experienced a sudden lapse that cost him the set, conceding six consecutive games.
However, Gaston held his nerve and managed to turn the match around, winning (5-7, 6-3, 6-4) and securing his second victory in as many meetings against the brother of Francisco Cerundolo, who is currently ranked 23rd in the ATP.
Hugo Gaston is still waiting for his opponent in the round of 16, where he will face either Luciano Darderi or Tristan Boyer. Another French player in action in Morocco was Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Against Coria, the world No. 169 dominated play (39 winners, 54 unforced errors) and secured a win (4-6, 6-3, 6-2).
Herbert will take on Mattia Bellucci for a spot in the quarterfinals. Thanks to these two results, there will now be three French players in the round of 16 in Marrakech.
In addition to Gaston and Herbert, Alexandre Muller will also be competing. A finalist in this tournament two years ago and the winner in Hong Kong earlier this season, Muller received a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed. He will face Hugo Dellien in his opening match.
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