NEW YORK (AP)—Richard Gasquet has helped France improve on its strong U.S. Open showing with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 upset over sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia.
Gasquet, ranked 38th, moves onto the third round. Even before Thursday’s match, he was helping make history—one of a record 12 Frenchmen to make it to the second round at Flushing Meadows.
Gasquet missed more than two months last year after testing positive for cocaine—a penalty he successfully appealed when he said the drug inadvertently entered his system when he kissed a woman at a nightclub.
He is a former top-10 player who is showing signs of returning to that form. Earlier this year, he won in Nice for his first title since 2007.