Gael Monfils rallied from a set down to claim a thrilling 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over American Taylor Fritz in a third-round match at the Australian Open.
as the only men to reach the Australian Open's fourth round at age 38 or older since the tournament field expanded to 128 players in 1988, coming back to beat No. 4 seedAfter punctuating his victory with a 134 mph ace -- his 24th of the afternoon, doubling Fritz's total -- Monfils did a celebratory dance at the baseline while thousands of fans at Margaret Court Arena roared, many waving red-white-and-blue French flags.
He started his season with a title at a hard-court event in Auckland, New Zealand, which made him the oldest man to win a tournament since at least 1990. "Just fortunate. But every day is different. We work hard. I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I am a strong believer myself. Strong belief I can do some damage," said Monfils, who has never been past the quarterfinals at the Australian Open but did reach two major semifinals, most recently at the 2016 U.S. Open."With a little luck, here we are in the second week of the Australian Open.
Playing his usual brand of charismatic, entertaining tennis in front of a loud crowd Saturday, Monfils compiled an impressive ratio of 58 winners to 34 unforced errors and dropped just one service game. And while Monfils won 11 of the 15 points he finished at the net, Fritz only went 16-for-30 when he pushed forward.at the US Open in September, became the highest-seeded man to exit the bracket at Melbourne Park this year. Fritz's right foot was treated by a trainer during the match.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Gael Monfils becomes oldest player to win ATP Tour singles titleFrench veteran Gael Monfils, at 38 years and 132 days, became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title after beating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland on Saturday.
Read more »
Veteran Gael Monfils reaches his 35th ATP final in Auckland aged 38Gael Monfils has become the second-oldest player since 1990 to reach a final on the men's elite tennis tour. The veteran Frenchman beat American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals at Auckland on Friday. Monfils did so at the age of 38 years, 131 days.
Read more »
French veteran Gael Monfils becomes the oldest player to win an ATP Tour singles titleFrench veteran Gael Monfils has become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title after beating Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in Auckland. Monfils claimed his 13th tour title 20 years after his first and the age of 38 years, 132 days.
Read more »
Taylor Fritz Defeats Borna Coric in United Cup MatchUS tennis player Taylor Fritz defeated Borna Coric of Croatia in a United Cup match in Perth, Australia on December 31st, 2024.
Read more »
Taylor Fritz Donates Australian Open Prize Money to California Fire VictimsAmerican tennis player Taylor Fritz is donating his first-round Australian Open prize money to relief funds aiding those affected by the devastating wildfires in Southern California. The player expresses his commitment to helping those impacted by the fires, sharing personal stories of friends and family affected.
Read more »
Taylor Fritz Donates U.S. Open Prize Money to SoCal Wildfire ReliefTaylor Fritz, a U.S. Open finalist and top seed in Australia, is donating his prize money from his first-round victory at the Australian Open to support wildfire relief efforts in Southern California. Fritz, who was born and raised in the region, said his brothers' childhood home was destroyed in the devastating fires.
Read more »