Gael Monfils produced a remarkable comeback against Tallon Griekspoor, extending his stay at the Monte Carlo Masters.
After losing a close opening set, the Frenchman roared back to claim a 6-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory over his Dutch opponent.
Monfils, 39, is playing in his final Monte Carlo event ahead of his retirement at the end of this season.
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By beating Griekspoor on Sunday, Monfils has set up a second round contest against eighth seed Alexander Bublik.
The Frenchman has also made Monte Carlo history.
Gael Monfils is the oldest Monte Carlo match winner in over 50 years
Monfils has made history in the Monegasque city district.
Not since 1973 has a player as old as Monfils won a match at the Monte Carlo Masters.
The oldest player to win a match at the 1973 Monte Carlo Masters was Hungarian player István Gulyás.
Gulyas, a finalist at the 1966 French Open, was 41 years old when he defeated John Bartlett in the 1973 Monte Carlo Masters first round.
Remarkably, Gulyas also won his second round, defeating Wanaro N’Godrella 7-6, 6-0.
Gulyas’ run came to an end in the third round: he was defeated 4-6, 3-6 by Germany’s Harald Elschenbroich.
Romanian tennis legend Ilie Nastase went on to win the title, defeating Bjorn Borg in the final.
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Returning to Monfils, the Frenchman is set to play former top 10 star Alexander Bublik on Monday.
The pair, both entertainers in their own right, have played each other three times on the ATP Tour.
Monfils has won two of their three meetings, the last being at the 2023 Washington Open.
- Bublik defeated Monfils 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 at the 2020 French Open
- Monfils defeated Bublik 6-1, 6-0, 6-4 at the 2022 Australian Open
- Monfils defeated Bublik 6-3, 6-4 at the 2023 Washington Open
Gael Monfils’ Monte Carlo debut
Monfils made his Monte Carlo debut in 2005, losing in the first round to future 11-time champion Rafael Nadal.
Monfils would go three consecutive years without winning a match at the event, before finally leaping over the hurdle in 2008, beating Fernando Verdasco and Ivo Karlovic on his way to the third round.
Monfils’ best ever result at the event occurred in 2016 when he defeated Marcel Granollers and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to the final.
Monfils fell just short of winning his first Masters 1000 title, losing to Rafael Nadal 5-7, 7-5, 0-6.
In his post-match press conference, Monfils said: “What was lacking? Well, a few details. Today it was cloudy and it was more difficult to serve hard. I knew this would mean more rallies for his benefit, which means I would have fewer free points with my serve.
“When you play Rafa on clay, and you have to play rallies, it is more difficult physically. In a way, it didn’t help me. But in another way, it did help me.
“Free points on my serve would have helped me because mentally having first serves go in, it’s encouraging for me. He was returning very well today. He was standing back and returning, so it was tougher for me.
“But in the third set, in the second game where I got broken, I was a bit nervous because I often have trouble beginning the sets. I’m watching the opponent.
“He was playing well. But I thought, Okay, physically you’re a bit tired. But I knew I had the resources for pushing him a bit more.
“From that moment on, I believe he played with more intensity. He changed his game plan a little. So maybe the 5 per cent or 10 per cent that I didn’t have anymore made it tough for me.
“He was playing more to my forehand because he was feeling my movements were not as good, and I had trouble putting the ball cross-court. He was playing shorter.”
