Gael Monfils Delivers a Thrilling Performance at ATP Masters 1000 in Monte Carlo

There are simple games Gael Monfils actually almost never. His opening game at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo also played everything – in good Viennese style.

by Stefan Bergmann

last edited: April 9, 2024, 10:58 p.m

© Getty Images

Gael Monfils knows how to get the audience on his side

37 years old and not a bit quieter: Admittedly, Gael Monfils is of course no longer the young Springinsfeld he was almost twenty years ago when the author of these lines examined the lively Frenchman live for the first time at an ATP Challenger tournament in Prague could. Even back then, the crowd favorite impressed with his incredible athleticism and ability to become a crazy winner. The refreshing and likeable nature was also evident at a young age. When it comes to self-confidence and self-assurance, age has allowed the Parisian to mature further.

However: Only a few tennis professionals in recent years have been stopped by annoying injuries and aches and pains as often as the Frenchman. We will never know what kind of Gael Monfils would have been like if he had been spared from his numerous ailments. But get rid of the subjunctive: It is what it is – and it’s a good thing, at least for the enthusiastic tennis audience that whips the eternal underdog to victory time and time again.

This is what happened yesterday at the opening game of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte-Carlo: Monfils, who qualified directly for the main field of the traditional clay court event in the Principality of Monaco with a wildcard, got it in the first round with the Australian Lucky loser Aleksandar Vukic, who had actually failed in the second qualifying round against his compatriot Cristopher O’Connell in three close sets. A rejection from Jordan Thompson later and that was it.

In the second round against Medvedev

And it was another memorable performance from Gael Monfils, as there are probably plenty of in the ATP Tour video database. In the first set, the Western European missed both a break lead and a match point at 6:5 and his own serve in the short decision. In the second set, however, revenge was achieved – two breaks from the current world number 40. resulted in a 1:1 set tie, and there were some crazy angle balls from the “enfant terrible”.

The numerous fans on the Court des Princes – the twosome at the Monte Carlo Country Club – really got hot in the deciding round. Vukic took a 4-1 lead with two breaks. At this point, probably only the greatest optimists believed in a turnaround by Monfils. But the comeback came, with full force. The man from “down under” only had one more game left. After 2:13 hours it was 6:7 (7), 6:3 and 7:5 for the quasi-local hero (France is the protecting power of the Principality of Monaco), who is now preparing for a duel with Daniil Medvedev, fourth in the world rankings allowed to do.

And who knows what else is possible for Günter Bresnik’s ex-protégé in the second round. After all, Monfils leads 2-1 in a direct head-to-head with the Russian. And Medvedev’s love for the sandy ground is, as we know, coming to an end.

Here is the individual tableau in Monte Carlo.

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Monfils Gael Medvedev Daniil
2024-04-10 06:00:00
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