The Dream Cup won’t be just any dream vacation for Richard Gasquet.
Relaxation isn’t the only thing that will be on the mind of the world no. 9 men’s tennis player as the Frenchman revealed he plans to use the event to maintain some measure of momentum heading into the 2014 ATP season.
Gasquet made the comment in a recent interview with MACO magazine ahead of the star-studded three-day challenge event that will also include reigning Wimbledon champ Andy Murray, one-time US king Juan Martin del Potro and world no.13 Nicolas Almagro.
“As a tennis player, when you are away from the [ATP] Tour you are always concerned about losing your rhythm so being able to play a few matches during that time would definitely help me to be 100 per cent ready on January 1 for the new season,” explained Gasquet.
“For me it will be a combination of relaxing time while also having the opportunity to play matches against some of the best players in the world.”
The year proved somewhat of a breakthrough for a unique talent that promised so much as a gifted junior but failed to consistently deliver at the pro level, especially at the grand slams where the Frenchman only advanced past the fourth round once between 2002 and last year.
However, the 27-year-old appeared to flip the switch this year after making a threatening semi-final run at the US Open, where he fell in straight sets to eventual champ Rafael Nadal.
And this was following a pair of encouraging fourth-round defeats to countryman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Stanislas Wawrinka at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, respectively.
“I need to maintain the consistency that I have had over the last two years,” reasoned Gasquet, who also made the fourth round of both the Australian Open and Roland Garros in 2012.
“With this in place, I will have more opportunities to go far in the Grand Slams and repeat what I did this year, for example.”
This year’s much-improved results at the grand slams, coupled with title runs at the Qatar Exxon Mobil Open Sud de France, earned the talented World No. 9 just his second appearance at the ATP World Tour finals in London, where he recently bowed out in the group stages following losses to del Potro and Roger Federer.
Gasquet can further cap his year with a victory at the Dream Cup, which would see him win a rare prize of a five-year stay at St Peter’s Bay worth US$500 000.
“The place looks amazing. Hopefully I will get a shot at winning this unique prize,” said Gasquet of St Peter’s Bay.
“I could probably get used to spending lots of time there.”
The challenge event runs November 29 and 30 at the Wildey Gymnasium with the semi-finals and finals, respectively, before the action moves on to Sugar Hill for an exhibition doubles match that will also feature Barbados Davis Cup players Darian King and Haydn Lewis.