Mathieu injury sends Gasquet into ATP final with Djokovic
AFP, May, 2007
ESTORIL, Portugal (AFP) — Paul-Henri Mathieu quit after 17 minutes with a right leg injury on Saturday to hand good friend and fellow Frenchman Richard Gasquet a place in the final of the Estoril Open.
The 3-1 result puts fifth seed Gasquet into a Sunday showdown with the form player of the moment, Serb Novak Djokovic.
The third seed surged into his fourth final of a breakthrough season on Saturday with a 7-5, 6-1 defeat of second seed Tommy Robredo.
Djokovic found a reserve of fitness after taking more than two and a half hours to win the day before, improving his career record over the 25-year-old Spaniard to 3-1.
The teenaged winner who turns 20 later this month will play for his third title of 2007.
Mathieu, who won the Casablanca title last week, had strung together eight victories before his letdown ...