Frenchman Gaël Monfils qualified on Wednesday August 18 for the third round of the Cincinnati tournament, signing the 500th victory of his career. Best French in the ATP ranking, the 22nd player in the world only needed two sets to get rid of the Australian Alex de Minaur, seed number 14 (6-3, 7-5). The Frenchman will face Russian Andrey Rublev, seeded number 4 in the next round, who eliminated Croatian Marin Cilic in three sets (5-7, 6-3, 6-1).
“I felt good on the court, like yesterday. I have been working for a long time, long months, but it was not going well. With the atmosphere, the energy, the audience, it smiles a little more on me“, reported the AFP.”I play better, move better, even though there is a little discomfort in my ankle that forces me to be careful. There is fun. I try to keep this course and I had a very solid game. Confidence also comes back and people also see me differently, because I win“, he added.
It was Monfils’ 500th victory in his career. At 34, he will face for a place in the quarter-finals a Rublev who was only six years old when the Frenchman won his first match on the ATP Tour in 2004.
500 wins, 17 years and some ICONIC looks along the way @Gael_Monfils #CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/KgOq2GnMGD
– Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 19, 2021
“It was in Metz against Xavier Malisse and he had withdrawn“, Monfils recalled.”I remember all of my victories. I’ve been in the circuit for a long time. I’m pretty happy with my career.“
On the other hand, in the ladies’ category, her compatriot Caroline Garcia was eliminated in the second round by the‘Spanish Garbiñe Muguruza, seeded number 8 (6-4, 6-3). Currently 63rd in the WTA rankings, the Frenchwoman was satisfied with her performance during the tournament.
“There is a real match, a real fight and that is the most important. The attitude is there, it’s positive, I fight to the end, I try to find solutions. It’s a straight set match (6-4, 6-3) but there is something to learn from and I think I’m progressing well this week“, she declared after the match.
On the men’s side, the German Alexander Zverev finally clinched his very first victory in Cincinnati, in his seventh attempt, against the South African Lloyd Harris. He is therefore qualified for the third round, just like the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, who beat the American Sebastian Korda.
Andy Murray was eliminated, beaten by the Polish Hubert Hurkacz who had taken out Roger Federer in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. The silver medalist of the last Olympic Games, the Russian Karen Khachanov, was eliminated by the Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime, seeded number 12.
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