Ageless Gael Monfils ousts Taylor Fritz in Melbourne for first career Top 4 major win
The 38-year-old served out the American, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4, for his best Grand Slam victory by ranking in his 65th appearance.
When Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, 21, was edged out by Gael Monfils over five sets in the first round of the Australian Open, he declared. “Sometimes on the bench I say to myself, He is not 38.”
Nearly a week later, the ageless Monfils is through to the round of 16 in Melbourne after picking up his first Top 4 win at a major ever, bettering his 2011 French Open victory when he toppled fifth-ranked David Ferrer.
On Saturday, the 38-year-old ousted No. 4-seeded Taylor Fritz, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4, in three hours and eight minutes.
“Taylor start(ed) strong, serving well. It was just one break. I played a very poor game, but I felt like I could move great today,” Monfils assessed on court. “The game plan was to hold best my line and definitely change the tempo. Hit some big shots down the line, use some shape with my forehand, some slice with the backhand and serve well.
“I’ve done the job.”
I have a strong belief in myself and a strong belief that I can still do some damage. Gael Monfils
Having lost his serve in the eighth game of the first set, Monfils was not broken again in the contest. After taking a two-sets-to-one lead, both players were feeling the burn. Monfils though, came up with clutch shot-making as the rallies were extended to emerge victorious.
At 4-4, he bent over with a massive smile after passing Fritz with a backhand down the line to move ahead 0-30. On his second break point minutes later, he had another look at a backhand pass and drilled it crosscourt to draw a volley error.
Serving it out, Monfils fired an ace up the T to seal it. More smiles and laughs followed a trademark dance celebration, the two embraced with a warm hug at the net and then Monfils let it all out as the crowd roared in sync with him. The Paris native is on an eight-match win streak following his title run in Auckland.
“I have a strong belief in myself and a strong belief that I can still do some damage,” Monfiils stated.
A clash with No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti or No. 21 seed Ben Shelton awaits.