Australian Open: Monfils Shocks Fritz to Progress

Synopsis

In a stunning upset at the Australian Open, Gael Monfils bested fourth seed Taylor Fritz, securing his place in the fourth round. This match is a highlight of Monfils's remarkable 22nd ATP Tour season, showcasing his resilience and skill on the court.

Key Takeaways

Monfils secured an impressive victory over Fritz.
He fired 24 aces during the match.
This win marks his eighth consecutive victory.
Monfils has tied with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the most wins by a Frenchman at the Australian Open.
He is now positioned at No. 32 in the ATP Live Rankings.

Melbourne, Jan 18 (NationPress) Gael Monfils has continued his impressive journey in his 22nd season on the ATP Tour, achieving a remarkable 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 6-4 victory over fourth seed Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open on Saturday.

At 38 years old, the French player, who recently made history as the oldest man in nearly five decades to win an ATP title in Auckland, delivered an astonishing performance with 24 aces, marking his eighth consecutive win.

Monfils demonstrated a strategic blend of off-pace strokes and sudden explosive power, which left Fritz stunned during crucial moments. He excelled in the third-set tiebreak and secured the pivotal break at 4-all in the fourth set with a sharp backhand winner after drawing Fritz to the net.

“The strategy was to maintain the baseline, alter the tempo, execute some powerful shots down the line, and also incorporate some shape. I accomplished that,” Monfils commented.

“We put in a lot of effort, and I strive to be very disciplined in my recovery. I firmly believe I can still make an impact and have great faith in my team.”

Monfils was formidable on serve, winning 82 percent of his first-serve points and 68 percent on his second serve, tallying 58 winners against merely 34 unforced errors, according to Infosys Stats. This victory evened his head-to-head record with Fritz at 1-1 and marked his 37th win at the Australian Open, tying Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the most by a Frenchman in the tournament's history.

After surviving a demanding five-set match against fellow countryman Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round, Monfils has ascended nine positions in the ATP Live Rankings to No. 32. He now gears up for a generational showdown against the winner of the clash between Ben Shelton and Lorenzo Musetti.

With 13 tour-level titles under his belt, Monfils becomes the second-oldest player, after Roger Federer, to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open since the tournament's relocation to Melbourne Park in 1988.

On the other hand, Fritz, now with a 6-2 record this season, will keep his position as World No. 4 unless Alex de Minaur clinches the title. Fritz's only other loss this year was against Felix Auger-Aliassime at the United Cup in Perth.