Gaël Monfils, 162nd in the world, did not find the resources despite the unconditional support of the public to resist the Russian Andrey Rublev (8th) and lost 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, Thursday in the second round of the US Open.
“Gaël is a legend and I knew who would have the support of the whole public. He’s great to watch and it’s normal for the crowd to be behind him,” commented Rublev.
In difficulty with his service, especially in the first two sets (respectively six and five double faults for a total of 13 over the whole match), Monfils did not manage to pack the match.
He managed a few rare spectacular points which provoked ovations from the public, but not enough to disconcert Rublev. Especially since he committed 14 unforced errors in the first set (for seven winning points) and another 13 (for 10) in the second.
As released, Monfils then managed to raise his level to hook his opponent and even succeed in the only break of the set to lead 5-3 and serve to win the set to the delight of the spectators of the Grandstand.
He effectively completed the round and seemed totally back in the game.
But very quickly the illusions were extinguished: Rublev flew away 5-0 and Monfils seemed very happy to manage to win a game in the decisive set, not without having saved three match points on his serve.
Nevertheless, Rublev did not fail to win the fourth match point.
The Frenchman, who turns 37 this Friday, ends his great American tour of return to competition with a logical defeat.
After months of treating a foot injury that occurred in Canada last summer and then to the wrist which forced him to forfeit before his second round at Roland-Garros, he had returned to tournaments during the North American summer tour on hard.
He reached the round of 16 in Washington, the quarterfinals at the Masters 1000 in Toronto and again the 8th at the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati with three victories against players from the World Top 15 (Tsitsipas, Norrie and De Minaur). At Flushing Meadows he passed the first round by beating the Japanese Taro Daniel (95th and from qualifying) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).
As for Rublev, he will face another Frenchman, Arthur Rinderknech (73rd), for a place in the round of 16. Last year, he reached the quarter-finals in New York for the third time. He played quarterbacks in all Grand Slam tournaments, but never managed to reach the last four of a Major.
