Back on the circuit after more than a month and a half of absence, Gaël Monfils (140th in the world), after a sluggish start to the match, defeated the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (52nd) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the 1st round of the ATP 250 tournament in Stockholm. He will have a second round well within his reach against the Austrian Filip Milosic, 181st in the world after qualifying.
Monfils had not appeared on the tour since his four-set loss to Andrey Rublev in the second round of the US Open on August 31. Having difficulty getting started, he offered Fucsovics a break point in the first game on a double fault, which the Hungarian converted with a winning dropshot. Faced with the 37-year-old Frenchman, appearing out of breath, the Hungarian was content to return the ball and be more regular in the exchange than his elder, from whom he took the service a second time to detach 5-1. At 5-2, the “Monf” reacted by obtaining its first break points, five in all in this eighth game, before finally abandoning the set to Fucsovics.
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In the second set, the Parisian, more in rhythm, more solid on serve — only one break point conceded at 2-2 — made the break to lead 4-2. We then quickly found Monfils who was world No.6, as on this half-volley of a forehand placed on a return from Vucsovics at 4-2. After obtaining his first set point with a short cross-court backhand, Monfils immediately equalized with one set everywhere.
The third set was a long, hour-long battle, from which Monfils emerged victorious by taking advantage of a direct error from his opponent on his third match point. “I feel good physically and I’m looking forward to my next round tomorrow,” he said as he left the court, after beating Fucsovics for the third time in three confrontations.
