Winner in 3 sets over his compatriot, the French veteran will challenge the Spaniard Alcaraz in the round of 16.
Frenchman Gaël Monfils (46th in the world) beat his compatriot Ugo Humbert (15th) in the third round of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai on Tuesday, 7-6 (9/7), 2-6, 6-1. Monfils managed to take Humbert’s serve at 4-4 in the first set on a double fault.
The 38-year-old veteran obtained three set points but the N.1 tricolor then showed himself to be more enterprising, notably by going to the net, to get back into the score. The 26-year-old Messin raised the level on serve to get back in front. He in turn missed two set points.
In the tie-break, he saved a set point for Monfils with an ace. On a new set point in favor of Humbert, Monfils came out with a passing, and the second set point was the right one for him when a too long forehand from his cadet gave him the first set.
Monfils exhausted, Humbert injured in the ankle
In the second, Monfils seemed to move with more and more difficulty and Humbert easily took the service of his elder at 1-1 then at 3-1. He then ruled out two break points in the next game before equalizing at one set all.
At 2-1 in the third set, Monfils, who seemed exhausted between each exchange, fought to make the break. While trailing 4-1, Humbert, apparently suffering from his left ankle and calf since the start of the second set, called on the services of the physiotherapist to get himself strapped. But too diminished, the recent finalist of the Tokyo tournament again gave in before losing.
Monfils against Alcaraz in the round of 16
In the round of 16, Monfils will face Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, world No.2. The “Monf” is the last French representative in the running since the Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, 12th in the world, beat the French Alexandre Muller (74th), 6-3, 7-5, in the third round on Tuesday.
In front of the very sparse stands of the center court and under the eyes of his mother with whom he spoke almost as much as with his coach during the match, Tsitsipas delivered a solid performance for this first confrontation on the circuit between these two players.
The Greek broke at 3-3 in the first set before taking Muller’s service again, with the backhand suddenly much too imprecise, to conclude. At 3-2 for the No.10 seed in the second set, Muller gave in again.
But when serving for the match at 5-3, Tsitsipas, perhaps too impatient to get it over with, notably with several untimely climbs to the net, was broken. Finally, at 6-5 in his favor, he made the Frenchman break by tightening the exchange and was able to finish with a passing.
In the next round, the former finalist of Roland-Garros 2021 and the 2023 Australian Open will face Russian Daniil Medvedev, world No.5.
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