Gael Monfils fires up French Open crowd with a late-night comeback
French legend 38-year-old Gael Monfils eliminated Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1 on a thrilling match and will face No 5 seed Jack Draper in the next round.
French veteran Gaël Monfils delivered a stunning comeback in his Roland Garros first-round match on Tuesday evening in a three-hour, 34-minute thriller. Down two sets against Hugo Dellien, the 38-year-old rallied spectacularly to win 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4), 6-1. This victory is Monfils' 40th French Open win.
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The dramatic five-setter evoked memories of his past heroics on these courts, especially given an early, painful fall into court-side which force him to take a medical timeout, that initially impacted his movement.
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Monfils, now holding the Open Era record for most five-set wins at Roland-Garros with 12, found his rhythm in the third set, fueled by the fervent home crowd, to complete the emphatic turnaround just after midnight.
Ranked 42nd, Monfils is set to face fifth seed Jack Draper next.
