Gael Monfils advanced to the Australian Open's fourth round at age 38, defeating Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-4 on Saturday, becoming the second man since 1988 to achieve this feat at that age, alongside Roger Federer, reports AP.
Monfils sealed the victory with a 134 mph (215 kph) ace—his 24th of the match, double Fritz's tally—and celebrated with a dance on the baseline as the crowd at Margaret Court Arena erupted, many waving French flags in support.
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“It was really tough to hurt him. He just got back everything,” Fritz remarked. “I felt like I wasn’t even hitting... It seemed almost too easy for him to hurt me, for how much I was struggling to hurt him. He played really, really well. Not too much I could do.”
The veteran Frenchman, who won a title in Auckland, New Zealand earlier this season—making him the oldest man to win a tournament since at least 1990—attributed his success to discipline and self-belief. “I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I am a strong believer in myself. Strong belief I can do some damage,” Monfils said. “With a little luck, here we are in the second week of the Australian Open.” Monfils, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist, has yet to progress beyond the quarterfinals at the Australian Open.
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At 38, Federer was slightly older than Monfils when he reached the 2020 Australian Open semifinals, his last appearance at the tournament.
Monfils will next face 22-year-old Ben Shelton, the 21st seed, who overcame No. 16 seed Lorenzo Musetti in four sets.
Playing his signature brand of dynamic and entertaining tennis, Monfils produced 58 winners to 34 unforced errors and dropped only one service game. At the net, Monfils converted 11 of 15 points, while Fritz managed 16 of 30. The win ended Monfils’ 12-match losing streak against top-five players at Grand Slams.
Fritz, 27, and runner-up at the U.S. Open last September, became the highest-seeded man eliminated from this year’s Melbourne Park draw. He received treatment for his right foot during the match.
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Adding to the family's success, Monfils’ wife, Elina Svitolina, secured a win on the same court later that evening, defeating two-time Slam finalist Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0. Remarking on their shared victories, Monfils said, “I warmed up the court for her,” before returning to the stands to cheer her on.