Mpetshi Perricard into the quarterfinals in Brussels: the Frenchman benefits from Basilashvili's injury

Injured in the shoulder, Nikoloz Basilashvili was forced to retire against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in Brussels.

Mpetshi Perricard was playing for a spot in the quarterfinals of the ATP 250 tournament in Brussels. In the Belgian capital, the Frenchman faced Basilashvili, who came through the qualifiers and was challenging his third consecutive French player after Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the final round of qualifying and then Quentin Halys in the first round of the main draw.

On his side, the world number 37 had eliminated Emil Ruusuvuori in the previous round (7-6, 6-7, 6-4). With 10 aces in the first set, Mpetshi Perricard was very clinical. He did not concede a single break point and converted his only break point at 5-5 before consolidating in the following game.

But in the final game of the first set, the Georgian, who had climbed back to world number 101, injured his shoulder on a return. From the first point of the second set, the 33-year-old Basilashvili chose to throw in the towel, having barely started the set on serve.

The Frenchman qualifies (7-5 ret.) and defeats his opponent for the second time this season after their previous encounter in the final of the Bordeaux Challenger on clay in May. He thus advances to the quarterfinals where he will face either Lorenzo Musetti or Yannick Hanfmann.