Tennis: Gaël Monfils, triple winner, back at the Open Sud de France Montpellier for the 12th edition

Nine and a half months ago the 11th edition of the Open Sud de France ended in Pérols, a paradoxical vintage with the most beautiful final in history on paper between the Belgian David Goffin (15th in the world) and the Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (13th in the world), the seeds respectively n ° 2 and 1 in the table.

But the 5th title (in fourteen finals) for Goffin, the third foreigner to have entered his name on the competition’s prize list, had been sadly disputed … behind closed doors, health conditions oblige, inevitably a frustration for the organizers.

Suffice to say that the return of the public – subject to a worsening of the situation by then! – will be one of the strengths of this 2022 edition. Open from mid-October, the ticket office has worked very well.

Places in category 1 are already exhausted on the Saturday of the semi-finals, so we can only advise you to rush to categories 2!

And on the occasion of the holidays, a special offer is available until Saturday December 25 only: a reduction of 25% is granted on a “Pass final phases” in the amount of 66 € to attend the quarters, semi and final of the competition.

Gaël Monfils, faithful among the faithful

To learn more about the contents of the tray, it will be necessary to wait several more weeks, the first days of the new year. The season will start on the Australian side with the tournaments of Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, prelude to the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open (January 17 to 30), all played on hard outside.

ATP 250, the Open Sud de France Montpellier, the city having joined the official title, will follow from January 30 to February 6, simultaneously two tournaments of the same category, in Cordoba (Argentina) on outdoor clay and in Pune (India) on outdoor hard. Different conditions which suggest that the regulars will be part of the game again.

And the first name to come out of the hat is tantalizing to say the least. Winner of the inaugural edition as seeded n ° 3 at the expense of Croatian Ivan Ljubicic (6-2 5-7 6-1) during the time of the late Patrice Dominguez, Gaël Monfils did it again in 2014 against Richard Gasquet then in 2020 against the Canadian Vasek Pospisil when he had been the beneficiary of a wild-card, which made the 2012 finalist (against Tomas Berdych) the most successful player at the Sud de France Arena, on par with Richard Gasquet (2013, 2015, 2016).

Currently ranked 21st in the world, Gaël Monfils “weighs” 10 titles and 22 finals, two semi-finals (at Roland Garros and the US Open) and a quarter (Australian Open) in Grand Slam, two Cup finals Davis (2010, 2014). He is also the only player with Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer to have reached at least one final per year for 17 consecutive seasons (from 2004 to 2021, current series therefore).

Married to the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina last July, the one who was 6th in the world in November 2016 is a spectacular player who always appeals to the public. There is no doubt that the tournament director, Sébastien Grosjean, will scramble to concoct a beautifully crafted table, a cocktail of tricolors with the hope of seeing our regional actions on the rise (Hugo Gaston, Benjamin Bonzi, recipients of wild-cards in 2021), the “godfather”, Richard Gasquet and several big names – some of them for the very first time – and to satisfy the Hérault public.

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