Gael Monfils’ storied career at Roland-Garros is over, and it came to an end in – what else? – five thrilling sets.
The 39-year-old former top 10 player fell short of completing another pulsating comeback in his favourite playground against fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0.
With peers and legends including Richard Gasquet, Sebastien Grosjean, Paul-Henri Mathieu and Yannick Noah watching on, the 2008 semifinalist was listless across the first two sets … until he found the special spark that only comes on Court Philippe-Chatrier.
Serving at 3-3, 30-30, Monfils hammered an ace, and let out a roar that brought both himself and a 15,000-strong crowd in the stands back to life.
He won eight straight games on the way to claiming both the third and fourth sets, and he seemed positioned to pull off a comeback from two-sets down on Paris’ main stage for the second year in a row.
But as the clock struck midnight, there was no magic left for Paris’ favourite magician. Monfils had nothing left to give, and Gaston eased to the five-set win in 3 hours and 22 minutes. Monfils won just eight points in the final set.
While Monfils’ stay in Paris is over, with his 40 wins remaining the joint most for a Frenchman at Roland-Garros in the Open era, Gaston’s continues.
The 25-year-old reached the fourth round in his Roland-Garros debut in 2020, and has now won at least one match in four of his seven career main draw efforts at his home major.
More to come…