SUNDAY, JUNE 01, 2025
French Open: Gael Monfils completes two-sets-to-love comeback to enter Rd-2
Published on May 28, 2025
By IANS
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- PARIS — Gael Monfils suffered a scary fall in the early stages of his first-round match at the French Open, but showed his fighting spirit in a courageous comeback at his home Slam as recovered from two sets down to beat Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(4), 6-1 in a dramatic battle.
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- For just the third time in his long career, the 38-year-old came from two-sets-to-love down to win — and for the first time at Roland Garros — thrilling the home crowd in a match that ended past midnight.
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- In a three-hour, 34-minute thriller, the right-hander completed a comeback by winning three consecutive sets for the first time in a decade, having last done it to beat fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille in the first round of the Australian Open in 2015.
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- Monfils’ escape was a milestone win for several reasons. It was his 40th Roland Garros victory, tying him with Yannick Noah for most wins at the event among Frenchmen in the Open era.
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- Twelve of those successes have come in five sets — an Open era record, too. He had previously been tied with Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka in that category.
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- Every time I play Roland-Garros it's magical. I had a run-in with the (courtside signage), I had a little scare, and it took me a while to come back because of the pressure," Monfils said in an on-court interview.
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- “I want to play well for myself, but also for you, because it's an honour and a privilege to play in a night session.
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- "The energy was high and I knew the moment the Marseillaise rang out that it had turned. It's moments like that, when I know I've gained the momentum and then, with this communion with you, I know it's won," he said.
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- Monfils will next play No.5 seed Jack Draper in the second round on Thursday.
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- “Now we're going to try to recover well because it's going to be another big battle (against Draper)," he added.
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