Tommy tossed out

Unseeded Frenchman Marc Gicquel beats the second seeded Spaniard in straight sets

LYON: Home favourite Marc Gicquel caused the first major shock of the Lyon ATP Open here on Monday, knocking out second seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-4 7-6 (7/5). 

The defeat will have hit Robredo’s hopes of making the end of season Masters in Shanghai as he currently sits ninth in the world and in the ATP Masters race, in which only the top eight will travel to Shanghai.

Gicquel, 79th in the world, has a good record here, having reached the final 12 months ago.

He broke serve in the 10th game of the first set to clinch it and then edged the Spaniard in the second set tie-break. The win also helped his countryman Richard Gasquet’s hopes of making the Shanghai field.

With German number 10 Tommy Haas pulling out of the tournament with gastro-enteritis, Gasquet, 11th, has a golden opportunity to overhaul the two men directly above him in the rankings, if he puts in a good showing here.

He opens against Belgian Christophe Rochus on Tuesday.

There was more French success for Jo-Wilfried Tsonga who beat American Vince Spadea 6-3 6-4, and Julien Benneteau, 68th, is also through having beaten countryman Edouard Roger-Vasselin, 93rd, 5-7 6-3 6-1.

In the other game of the day, American Mardy Fish beat Spain’s seventh seed Nicolas Almagro 2-6 6-3 7-6.