Teenager Gasquet to make history at Queen's

Derrick Whyte
Tuesday 21 May 2002 00:00 BST
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Richard Gasquet will become the youngest-ever player to appear in the main draw of next month's Stella Artois Championships at Queen's Club after the organisers awarded him a wild card.

The 15-year-old, who beat three players ranked in the world's top 100 at Monte Carlo last month, has been tipped for the top by Boris Becker's former coach, Günther Bosch.

He said: "He has such great timing and feel for the ball. He has a good all-round game which should be great on grass."

The tournament director, Ian Wight, said: "With a testimony like that we think Richard deserves his chance to follow in the footsteps of four-times Stella Artois winners John McEnroe and Boris Becker."

In Zurich, surgery to repair Martina Hingis's left ankle went smoothly on Monday, but it is too early to say whether she will be able to continue playing.

"I am very satisfied," said Dr Heinz Bühlmann after a 90-minute operation in which he replaced two damaged ligaments. "It will take six to eight weeks to heal, but she is absolutely stable.

"Both her heels are inflamed, a condition that should now clear up if the operation has been successful." The surgeon suggested, however, that if the inflammation of her heels returned "the prognosis would be bad".

Weeks of rest should also help the knee and hip problems that have been persistent problems for the 21-year-old former world No 1, who last week withdrew from the French Open, the one Grand Slam title she has yet to win. Injuries also forced her to miss this month's German and Italian Opens.

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