Now A Top 100 Star, Arthur Cazaux Is At Home In Montpellier

Arthur Cazaux
Arthur Cazaux (photo: Open Sud de France)

MONTPELLIER /WASHINGTON, January 31, 2024 (by Michael Dickens)

Arthur Cazaux is gaining attention as part of a French New Wave of Next Gen ATP stars that are exciting to watch and full of promise. The 21-year-old Montpellier native is recognized by the French public, not only for his distinctive mullet coiffure but also for his outgoing personality and candor.

Free of injuries and following an in-form run Down Under, Cazaux is beginning to realize his potential on the tennis court.

Now, as the sun sets on the Golden Generation of French tennis – characterized by the flash and panache of Richard Gasquet, Gaël Monfils, Gilles Simon and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga – that has given fans many wonderful memories, Cazaux is ready to step into the spotlight along with fellow French up-and-coming stars Arthur Fils, who is ranked 35th and finished runner-up at last year’s Next Gen ATP Finals, and No. 68 Luca Van Assche.

Earlier this month, Cazaux began 2024 with a bang by winning a Challenger 100 title in Noumea, New Caledonia with five straight wins, including a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Enzo Couacaud of France in the final. It was his third career title on the Challenger circuit. Then, it was on to the Australian Open where, four years after Cazaux reached the junior boys’ final, he parlayed a reciprocal a wild card into a trio of victories.

Ranked 122nd at the time, Cazaux scored a Top 10 triumph over Denmark’s Holger Rune, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, that was bookended by wins against Laslo Djere of Serbia and Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor. The young Frenchman’s luck ran out when he lost to No. 9 seed Hubert Hurkacz of Hungary, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3), 6-4, in the fourth round. Before he left Melbourne, Cazaux had left a lasting impression on everyone.

Afterward, Cazaux called his impressive AO experience “a good week for me. Many firsts, like first Top 10 win, first second week in Grand Slam.

“I know it’s going to help me for the rest of the season,” he said in Melbourne. It sure helped his ranking, which jumped to No. 83 this week — a leap of 39 spots — and his pocketbook, too. He’s already earned $268,917 in prize money this year.

“For sure it’s a great experience for me. If I learn any lessons? Yes, one maybe. It’s like if I want to been a Grand Slam one day, it’s a long way, and it’s long two weeks. For the body it’s long. Also, for the mind. You must be like very strong to win a Grand Slam, yeah, to be the best during two weeks in a row.”

In Australia, Cazaux dedicated each of his three wins to La Paillade. On Sunday, he attended the Montpellier-Lille French Ligue 1 football match and was feted by his hometown team. “A childhood dream,” he said, in a pre-tournament news conference earlier this week. “I have been the biggest fan of this club since I was little. I love its values, family sharing. … Yeah, I love this club.”

Back home in France, Cazaux is the center of attention in Occitanie as he plays in the ATP 250 Open Sud de France in Montpellier this week.

“When I returned to Paris, many people came to see me and thank me,” he said. “It surprised me. I asked them ‘Why?’ They told me for the emotions I transmitted to them. It’s certainly a pleasure, especially since I wasn’t expecting it.

On Tuesday evening, 7,000 fans filled Open Sud de France Arena for Cazaux’s tennis homecoming, his first match ranked inside the ATP Top 100. He delighted his family, friends and French fans with an energetic and enthusiastic 6-1, 6-3 victory over No. 92 Maximilian Marterer of Germany, in which he served 11 aces. The win advanced him to face World No. 30 and third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on Thursday.

“I’m at home here,” he said. “My friends are in Montpellier. I am in love with my city. I am very proud to represent it. I like to represent my country.”

When Cazaux was asked by a French reporter this week which he would choose between playing Rafael Nadal at Roland-Garros or reaching the final in Montpellier, he hesitated for a moment before rendering a decision. “I would say a final here because it’s at home, it’s in front of my loved ones. It’s still an ATP final, he said. “Even if Rafa is my idol – and playing against him once would be incredible – I would still say the home side, Montpellier, family.”

Comeback king Bublik outlasts Shapovalov

No. 2 seed Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan rallied from a set down and saved two match points during a 26-point second-set tie break, then pulled out a 1-6, 7-6 (12), 6-3 victory over 137th-ranked Denis Shapovalov of Canada in two hours and 25 minutes.

The 2022 Montpellier champion Bublik withstood 16 aces from Shapovalov and hit 10 of his own of the 69 points he won on his serve. He outpointed his opponent 107-100 to move into Friday’s quarterfinal round.

Bublik is now 17-3 lifetime versus left-handers on tour-level and through to his 24th ATP Tour quarterfinal and second of the season.

Around the Open Sud de France

No. 133 Michael Mmoh of the United States reached his fifth ATP Tour quarterfinal and first since last year at Delray Beach with his 6-4, 6-4 upset of No. 7 seed Alexandre Muller of France, ranked 71st. The 26-year-old Mmoh becomes the third American quarterfinalist in tournament history following John Isner in 2010 and Maxime Cressy last year.

No. 144 Harold Mayot of France defeated 2018 champion Lucas Pouille in the first round and after taking out another fellow Frenchman, No. 112 Benoit Paire in the second round, 6-1, 6-4, has reached his second consecutive ATP Tour quarterfinal after reaching that stage in Metz, France last November. Mayot dominated Paire during their 70-minute match that was featured on the night session by converting all three of his break-point chances and outpointed his opponent 62-47.

No. 6 seed Alexander Shevchenko, who was representing Kazakhstan for the first time in a tour-level event, pulled through his opening match with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 win over 194th-ranked Czech qualifier Dalibor Svrcina in two hours and 50 minutes. The 59th-ranked Shevchenko hit eight aces and converted seven of 22 break chances. He outpointed Svrcina 126-121. Next, Shevchenko will face unseeded Gregoire Barrere of France, who is ranked 104th.

No. 106 Constant Lestienne of France rallied from a set down to defeat No. 80 Bernabe Zapata Miralles of Spain, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, in two hours and 10 minutes. Lestienne converted five of eight break points and outpointed Zapata Miralles 90-75.

Next, Lestienne will face No. 76 Flavio Cobolli of Italy, who fought past three-time Montpellier champion and No. 8 seed Gaël Monfils of France, 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-0, in two hours and 40 minutes. It was Cobolli’s first tour-level win against a French opponent and he did it by breaking Monfils’ serve seven times in 16 opportunities and outpointing his opponent 109-91.

Doubles No. 1 seeds Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul of France advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (5), 6-2 win over Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens of Germany. They will face French duo Gregoire Barrere and Lucas Pouille in the round.

Wednesday’s Open Sud de France results

Thursday’s Open Sud de France order of play

By the numbers

Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan is a Top-2 seed at an ATP Tour event for just the third time in his career, following Newport in 2021 and Astana the same year).

“Quotable …”

“I know [Holger] very well. I grew up with him in the juniors. It will be very special playing against him.”

— Pablo Llamas Ruiz of Spain, during his on-court interview Tuesday night following his first tour-level hard court win over France’s Richard Gasquet. His 7-6 (6), 7-5 victory advanced him to face World No. 7 and top seed Holger Rune.

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