New Delhi: On Thursday, France said welcome to an emerging national star before saying goodbye to one of its tennis heroes.

Following France, Roland Garros was already a hotbed of emotion. Richard Gasquet finished his 23-year career with a straight sets defeat to top-ranked Jannik Sinner at Philippe-Chatrier, and No. 1 Arthur Fils overcame a back ailment to win in five sets on Court Suzanne-Lenglen earlier in the day, but the day was quickly remembered.

The 20-year-old Fils, who was seeded fourteenth, appeared to have a firm grip on the game after winning the first two sets against Jaume Munar by scores of 7-6(3) and 7-6(4) in one of the day's most exciting contests.

The contest was tough, and the athletes appeared to be evenly matched, but the Frenchman's athleticism seemed to give him a little advantage. However, things shifted when Fils sustained a back injury during the tiebreaker in the second set.

Despite being ahead by two sets, he was having trouble moving around the court. With Munar winning the third and fourth sets 6-2 and 6-0, he only managed to win two matches. By this time, many were questioning why Fils was still playing as if he could have been hurting himself.

But the French kid persisted, and in the fifth set, when the pickle juice and medication started to take effect, he rejoined the game.

He began to move better after a breakdown, then used an ultra-aggressive strategy to win the set and the game.

To celebrate winning the fifth set, Fils tore off his shirt in front of the cheering crowd. He eventually stated that his inspiration came from a fellow Frenchman, not Gasquet, but rather Monfils, the 38-year-old French veteran who had recovered from a two-set deficit in his first match of the competition.

"I was thinking of Gael in the five set," Fils remarked on the court. "Gael had to turn around a lot of matches in five sets. So I thought, "This is yours, Arthur." You must do the same. Go ahead. I'm not sure what to say. It's all thanks to you guys. Although I was ahead two sets to zero, I was aware of the physicality. I wasn't feeling my best when I started the tiebreaker in the second set.

"However, I reasoned that it was a five-set match," he continued. There's always a fifth set, even if you lose the next two. I told my box that. I will concentrate on the fifth set and see what happens. In the end, everything turned out fine.

Fils will next face Andrey Rublev, who defeated Adam Walton 7-6(1), 6-1, 7-6(5), in the third round for the first time.

However, the attention quickly turned to the match between Sinner and Gasquet. Although the match went as expected, with Sinner winning in three sets, there were moments of brilliance that reminded many of Gasquet's brilliance and the reason he was so well-rated from his time on the junior circuit.

One of the nicest one-handed backhands in the sport will be missed by many. His overall athleticism made him a pleasure to see, and it distinguished him from others. There was never a boring moment on the court when Gasquet was there.

"Today is the day I've given a lot of consideration to; you hope it never happens, but it is," the 38-year-old Gasquet said in French to the crowd as the tournament honored his remarkable career. "I can't dream of anything better than standing on this incredible court, the most beautiful court in the world."

He continued, "I can't imagine a nicer way to conclude my career than with my final match on this court." I will continue to enjoy tennis for the rest of my life.

The audience in the show court screamed their support for a player who had previously been ranked among the best in the world. No. 7 and reached three Grand Slam semifinals. It may have been unfortunate that he played during the Big Three era, which included Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic, but that's how it is.

But France will be hoping that his voyage will serve as an inspiration for a new generation. The son may claim that it does.

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