Monfils Celebrates 40th Birthday With U.S. Open Win
Gael Monfils will get to play at least one more match in front of the New York crowd.
The Frenchman, who is set to retire at the end of this season, turned 40 years old on Tuesday but looked as young as ever as he posted a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 victory over Paraguay’s Adolfo Daniel Vallejo to open up the Night Session in Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“I was happy with my win. A slow start, but I felt like I had a lot of break points so I was not so much worried about the next set,” Monfils said. “It was more [about] moving better my legs. I think I was upright a lot with my body. Then somehow I got a little bit tense, but I knew that I was striking the ball well during the week so it was a matter of time [before] the momentum shift[ed].”
Monfils did in fact get off to a slow start, but quickly put the first set behind him as he raced out to a 5-0 advantage in the second set. From that point forward, Monfils seized and remained in control, dropping just three games in the final three sets.
In that final fourth set, Monfils hit 15 winners to only three unforced errors to close it out and advance to the second round.
“Special number, 40, and playing a good match, so it was special,” said Monfils. “I think my best birthday was…I can’t remember, but it was back, you know, with my family. That definitely was the best one. But this one, let’s say, I will put it in the top 10.”
Up next for Monfils is young American Learner Tien, the 14th seed. Tien defeated Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in his opener.
Alexander Zverev, tournament’s top seed, became the first No. 1 seed since 1988 to go five sets in the U.S. Open first round, but the French Open champion overcame Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 to advance. The match took nearly five hours to finish.
“I think there’s definitely room for improvement. I think tonight, funny enough, I think I missed a few more backhands than I usually do. That’s something that doesn’t happen very often. But definitely something that I can adjust a little bit and hopefully moving forward it will be better,” said Zverev. “Overall, I think it was a great, tough battle, and I think it was a match that I needed after the last couple of weeks.”
Zverev advances to play France’s Quentin Halys.
Zverev’s French Open final opponent, Flavio Cobolli, had to play five sets also in his first round match on Tuesday. The fifth-seeded Italian overcame Argentina’s Francisco Comesana 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 to set up a second-round matchup with Australia’s Tristan Schoolkate.
