Richard Gasquet might finally get to strike a ball this week against Michael Berrer in the PBZ Zagreb Indoors quarter-finals on Friday.
Gasquet has reached the last eight without even taking to the court. He had a first round bye as fourth seed and then was preparing to face Arnaud Clement but the veteran pulled out just before the match with a shoulder injury.
It's been easy prize money for Gasquet but in the context of the tournament it could work against him when he plays last year's runner-up Michael Berrer on Friday. Berrer, the eighth seed, has looked very sharp, easing past two Croatian opponents without dropping a set.
In contrast, Gasquet will be playing his first competitive match indoors in 2011 and he's bound to be a little rusty.
Gasquet has won both his previous matches against the big serving leftie. It was 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 in Metz two years ago and then 6-4, 6-2 in Cincinnati last year.
However our prediction is for Berrer to spring the upset in three.
