Match Report
Monfils stuns Alcaraz in Cincinnati
Frenchman earns first Prime 3 win of season
August 16, 2024
2024 Getty Photos
Gael Monfils celebrates his upset of World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati Friday.
By ATP Employees
Gael Monfils earned his largest win in additional than two years on Friday on the Cincinnati Open, the place he shocked World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 to seize the ninth Prime 3 victory of his profession.
Play was cancelled on Thursday night time because of rain, with Alcaraz main Monfils 6-4, 6-6(1/3). Nonetheless, the Frenchman got here out firing upon the resumption, remaining composed to construct on his early lead within the tie-break and seal the set on his third set level.
In windy circumstances, Monfils was the extra constant within the decider to inflict simply an eighth defeat of the 12 months on Alcaraz. The 37-year-old saved all 4 break factors he confronted and rode the momentum he had gained within the second-set tie-break to earn his first Prime 3 win since he beat then-No. 1 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings Daniil Medvedev in March 2022 in Indian Wells.
GLORIOUS GAEL ✨@Gael_Monfils stuns Alcaraz in an epic three set encounter to advance in @CincyTennis !#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/ANpoZg5eJ8
— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 16, 2024
Alcaraz was competing in his first hard-court match since March in Miami, the place he reached the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old has since lifted main trophies at Roland Garros and Wimbledon and received a silver medal on the Paris Olympics.
The five-time Masters 1000 titlist Alcaraz struggled to search out his typical stage towards Monfils and was visibly annoyed within the third set, smashing his racquet after failing to interrupt Monfils’ serve at 1-2 within the decider.
Alcaraz continued to push however was finally unable to show proceedings round towards Monfils, who held agency on serve to advance. Along with his two-hour, 30-minute triumph, Monfils turned the second oldest participant to defeat a Prime 3 opponent this century, becoming a member of Roger Federer, who at 38 beat World No. 2 Novak Djokovic on the Nitto ATP Finals in 2019.
Monfils pumped his chest after sealing victory earlier than he set free a roar and embraced the assist from the group. The previous World No. 6, who beat Montreal champion Alexei Popyrin within the first spherical, might want to pull double obligation on Friday in Ohio, the place he’ll return later to face fifteenth seed Holger Rune within the third spherical.
