“I’m gaining momentum”, winner of a top 10 in Indian Wells, Gaël Monfils continues to defy time.

Thirty-seven years old and still as dashing… Gaël Monfils beat the Pole Hubert Hurkacz, world No. 8, on Saturday in the second round of the Masters 1000 at Indian Wells in the Californian desert.

The Parisian, currently 54th in the world, won in three sets, 6-0, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 and validated his best victory of the season, after a night match .

His last success against a member of the Top 10 dated from August 2023, against the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas during the Masters 1000 in Toronto.

“I feel like I’m playing well, I feel like I’m moving better and better, it allows me to create a tactic where I feel good, where I can bother these players,” Monfils said. I had good momentum today (Saturday), starting well helps, I rode on that and managed to maintain it well. I am gradually gaining strength. I’m happy, it’s a good match won. »

In the next round, Monfils will face the Briton Cameron Norrie (28th), winner of the tournament in 2021, on Monday for a place in the round of 16.

Furthermore, six French people, men and women combined, qualified for the third round on Saturday, where Clara Burel came close to the feat against Coco Gauff. The 22-year-old Breton, 47th in the world, led 5-2, then served at 5-3 in the 3rd set before losing (2-6, 6-3, 7-6) against No. 3 worldwide.

French number 1 Ugo Humbert, 14th in the world, defeated the American Patrick Kypson (6-4, 6-4). Adrian Mannarino, 21st, easily dominated the Czech Tomas Machac in two sets (6-1, 6-2) and will meet in the next round the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, 13th, who fell on Saturday to the Frenchman Alexandre Müller (7-5, 6-2). ).

Caroline Garcia struggled but finally found success against the Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova (6-1, 3-6, 6-3). “This kind of victory no longer relieves me, the scenarios repeat themselves,” she lamented after a slump in the second set.

The young Arthur Fils, 19 years old, 43rd, and Diane Parry, 21 years old, 61st, managed to eliminate seeded players, respectively the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich, 23rd, (6-3, 6-4), and the Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 22nd, (7-5, 5-7, 6-2).

Finally, for his entry into the running, Novak Djokovic, the insatiable world number 1, who had not played since his defeat in the semi-final of the Australian Open in January against Jannik Sinner, had to tighten up his game to dismiss the Australian Aleksandar Vukic (6-2, 5-7, 6-3).