Monfils had never lost in three meetings against Alexander Zverev (last match in 2016), but he never could have the feeling this Wednesday to be able to perpetuate the series. Very badly entered in the match, to multiply the unforced errors, the French was very quickly left behind in the first round, led 4-0, 0-30 before a timid reaction. Opposite, Zverev had put on the outfit of the very strong, immediately managing to put Monfils on his heels.
Stainless in the service (80% of first balls in the first set), the German took advantage of his power to multiply the climbs to the net (19 points gained from 25 appearances). If he could sometimes seem a little feverish, Zverev managed the most important end, in a reflex forehand, on the only break point that Monfils obtained at 2-2 in the second set. The (very) small chance of the Frenchman had passed. Broken at 4-3, he bowed after 1h1 ‘of play on a last clear game from Zverev in the service, this time priceless on long backhands of the line.
“I felt him much more solid than me, I didn’t manage to hurt him”
“I did not get into the match well, but he was good, noted Monfils after the defeat. The first point, it gives me a cross woody return, it puts me in the fine right away. It didn’t get off to a good start right away. He was able to relax faster than me. And it quickly became a steamroller. Above all, he volleyed well, I found … He didn’t have an air gap. I felt him much more solid than me. I didn’t manage to hurt him. He was really stronger than me. He’s solid, he changes his pace, he moves very well. The guy is the cream of the crop. He crushed me. The more I get to play these guys, the more I can hook them up a bit more. “
Winner of twenty of his last twenty-one matches, Zverev will face Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals.
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