This was the poster child for the start of the tournament. Many were those who, after an interminable first week without juice, had marked the date in their diary hoping to finally see a great show (and great tennis) between Carlos Alcaraz, seeded n°1, and Gaël Monfils. And yet, we almost experienced the blow of the too good trailer. You know, the one that sells you dreams and that you curse once you’ve seen the film, not at the level of the hopes aroused. The “fault” therefore almost fell on Gaël Monfils who remained on the ground after his left ankle turned. The first set only had a few games in the legs but, given the quality of the rallies, we wanted more.
Fortunately, more fear than harm for the Frenchman. He was able to return to the game to the delight of the fans. A little borrowed, he nevertheless let the first set slip through his fingers. Undisturbed, Alcaraz displayed the usual range of his blows.
We finally had to wait for the second set to see what we were waiting for. Broken from the start, Monfils decided to let go. It was then a competition for “best of” points. The public was having a great time, the big screens were playing in slow motion, the evening was beautiful.
Especially since the respect between the two men was felt even from the stands furthest from the center. They regularly exchanged smiles after each other’s good shot, and even checked each other while they were both at the net.
From a purely tennis point of view, the step was too high for Monfils. This Alcaraz, in full possession of its means, does not have many rivals on the circuit. More than ever, he is the dream candidate for the Sunshine Double (winning Indian Wells and Miami in quick succession).
