He came close to another final on the circuit. But Gaël Monfils will have to wait a little later in 2024 if he wants to equal Roger Federer and play at least one final for the 20th consecutive season. Because this Friday, Alejandro Tabilo blocked his path at the last minute on the grass of Mallorca, winning in three sets (2-6, 6-2, 7-6) and a little less than two hours (1h52 precisely) in the semi-final of the Spanish ATP 250 tournament. For the title, the Chilean will face the Briton Paul Jubb or the Austrian Sebastian Ofner.
Grass has never really been his cup of tea. But under the Mallorcan sun, he almost challenged for the title for the second time in his career, seven years after Eastbourne. Gaël Monfils had to give in, not without a fight, which will perhaps not prevent him from having some regrets. Because in the third set, it was he who had the only two break points in the fifth game, notably failing to convert the second on a long-line backhand pass that was more than within his reach. By making a long mistake, he certainly missed the boat.
In the final part of the match, Alejandro Tabilo certainly did not steal his victory. More enterprising, more impactful on his forehand, more lively on his supports, he dominated the rare exchanges while the two men were sovereign on their respective serves. In the tie-break, he took things in hand with a brutal acceleration of a forehand along the line to make the mini-break before the change of ends (4 points to 2). An advantage that he did not let go, coming to seek his destiny with great audacity and touching the net. Falling while desperately trying to put a drop volley back into play which offered three match points to his rival, Monfils finally lowered the flag on a double fault.
But the regrets of the former French number 1 will probably not only come from this third set. Because Monfils had taken advantage of a catastrophic start from Tabilo to win the first set in less than half an hour. In control against a tense opponent lacking sensations, he was unable (or did not know how?) to take advantage of his momentum to drive the nail home at the start of the second act. On the contrary, he became passive and the Chilean ended up reversing the momentum by making his first break against a suddenly listless Frenchman (and this until the end of the set).
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