In tennis, the "average level" of a player's play is generally stable, which makes it possible for a player to have a fairly accurate idea of the opponent's overall playing level.
However, exceptions to the rule do exist: Dustin Brown is one of them.
Brown was above all an exception in a tennis world that is often considered too smooth, in which the styles of play become more and more similar as the years go by.
Of Jamaican origin, Dustin Brown is not a tennis player, but rather an artist
The "rasta" of the ATP circuit stands out with his long dreadlocks but above all by his style of playing.
Already well known for having knocked out Rafael Nadal in the second round of Wimbledon, Brown remains an enigma for any top 100 player, capable of the best as well as the worst.
Gasquet vs Dustin Brown at the Montpellier ATP Tournament. Credit : Tanya DychSport.fr
This Sunday, February 7, 2016, on the occasion of the semifinals of the tournament in Montpellier, Richard Gasquet, then ranked 10th in the world, is well aware that his opponent can make him live any type of scenario.
What the Frenchman didn't expect, however, was that his opponent would literally fly over the match for the first 40 minutes.
Brown was on his top, Richard took the brunt of it.
Passing shots on the run, reflex volley, powerful forehand, all goes through it.
The Jamaican even went so far as to smash his opponent's balls, even though they were already off court, causing the commentators to laugh.
Gasquet is helpless, without solutions, the Frenchman suffers the full strength of his opponent assaults who will inflict him a game of winning return in the end of the first set.
Source Dustin Brown's acrobatic tennis at Wimbledon.
In tennis, the word "highlight" is usually used to describe the spectacular points of a match. The first 40 minutes of the Brown-Gasquet match can be considered as a succession of highlights as the Jamaican made his magic shine on center court.
Despite a dominating score of 6-1 3-0, Dustin Brown would eventually fall back into his bad habits, unable to keep up his level of play throughout the match.
To the surprise of everyone, Gasquet was able to turn the tables and win the match by a score of 1-6 6-4 6-3.
"He was like a steamroller. I managed to hang on. I told myself he'd eventually start to get a bit heavy-armed".
Richard Gasquet
Like a boxer, the Frenchman knew how to take the blows before brilliantly recovering when his opponent seemed to weaken.
Brown came close to the divine in the first half of the game before collapsing, synonymous of his inconsistency.
How high can a player perform once he is at the top of his game? This Sunday, February 7, 2016 , despite his defeat, Dustin Brown seems to have answered this question in a match that will still be considered as unique nowadays.
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