The odds were never in Richard Gasquet’s favour.
The 29-year-old Frenchman and No.21 seed stepped out on Centre Court on Friday with just two Grand Slam semi-finals to his name – both of them losses and both to the eventual champion: Rafael Nadal at the US Open in 2013 and Roger Federer at SW19 in 2007.
Over the net stood the No.1 seed and defending champion, Novak Djokovic, who entered his 27th Grand Slam semi-final with just three losses for the season and an 11-1 hold over Gasquet on his side.
But Gasquet turned up to play and, for the first set at least, took the fight to the Serb. He suffered an early break but his trademark backhand was on form, and he belted one down the line to break right back and keep his hopes alive.
Gasquet was on fine form: at 3-4 in the opening set he was yet to make a single unforced error; Djokovic had chalked up nine.
The Frenchman pushed the opening set to a tie-break but again, the odds were against him: he had never beaten Djokovic in a tie-break – in fact, he had never taken a set off him at a Grand Slam – and when the Serb knocked down an ace to start proceedings, the signs were ominous.
The statistic that had served Gasquet so well for so long became his undoing; serving at 2-3 in the tie-break he posted consecutive unforced errors – until that point he had just three for the set – to go 2-5 down and allow Djokovic to serve out the set.
[He] never miss a return. You all the time serve, you serve. The ball is always on your side again
It was a turning point, and one from which Gasquet never recovered. “I tried to do my best. I did a good first set. I did some great backhand,” the Frenchman said. “From the baseline I was playing great. I was playing fast, going to the net with a lot of confidence.
“It was 2‑2, then it was 7‑2 very fast after that. It wasn't good. He never miss on some returns, he serves well. That's why he's No.1 in the world. It's better [to win] the first set. I could take confidence after that. It's tough when you are losing to the No.1, 7‑6. Then he played better.”
The Serb broke again in the opening game of the second set and the result started to look inevitable. He wrapped up the set 6-4 after Gasquet sent a forehand sailing beyond the baseline.
Gasquet was again broken early in the third and when Djokovic held to love for a 3-1 lead, there could be no doubting the eight-time Grand Slam champion. He fired down an ace to bring up three match points but needed just one opportunity, sealing the win 7-6(2), 6-4, 6-4 with a cross-court forehand.
Throughout the encounter, lasting just under two-and-a-half hours, the Centre Court crowd was right behind Gasquet, willing him to step up and deliver a semi-final blockbuster. But Djokovic’s reputation as the best returner in the game – and that world No.1 ranking – ultimately proved too great a hurdle.
“His return – that's the best because he never miss. Never miss a return. You all the time serve, you serve. The ball is always on your side again. It's very difficult. You never make so many aces,” Gasquet said.
“He doesn't make unforced error. Even from the baseline he's playing fast, with a lot of aggressivity. He take the ball early. That's why it's tough.”
Gasquet, who many will say has never quite fulfilled his potential, exited his 10th Wimbledon singles campaign content to have made a return to the final four of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2013 – and to have overcome the likes of Grigor Dimitrov, Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka en route – but no closer to realising the great promise he showed years ago.
“It’s been a great tournament for me. To lose against Novak in the semi-final, it's very nice for me. I did my best. I'm really happy with the way I played and the way I finished the tournament,” he said.
Despite the loss, Gasquet’s grass-court season is not over: he will stay in London with the French Davis Cup team ahead of next week’s World Group quarter-final tie against Great Britain.
“We are staying to go to Queen's Club. It's an important competition for us, for France. So, of course, I want to recover a little bit, to be ready for next week,” Gasquet said.
Then there is the US Open, the only other major at which Gasquet has reached the semi-finals. He is on form and still on a mission to overcome the odds.
