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By Tennis Now | Monday, August 7, 2017

 
Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils smothered Steve Johnson, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1, to surge into the Montreal Masters second round.

Photo credit: Arturo Velazquez/Tennis Canada

Dropping serve twice in the opening set and looking a little sluggish around the court, Gael Monfils had both knees taped before starting the second set.

Tightening up the support, Monfils turned up his court coverage smothering Steve Johnson, 2-6, 7-6 (1), 6-1, to surge into the Montreal Masters second round.

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Monfils pumped 11 aces and saved two of four break points in a one hour, 38-minite victory.

Johnson broke at the outset and stayed in charge on serve. The American slid an ace down the middle closing the 24-minute opening set.

Calling for the trainer, Monfils had taping wrapped around both knees before launching his comeback in the second set.




A delicate angled forehand volley followed by a crackling forehand winner down the line gave Monfils a 4-1 tie break lead. He closed the second set when Johnson scattered a backhand long.

A re-energized Monfils broke to open the decider.

In the third game, Johnson paid the price for testing Monfils’ speed. His drop shot sat up as the Frenchman flew forward to answer with a winner for triple break point. When Johnson bungled a volley into the net, Monfils had his second break and a 3-0 lead.

Monfil will meet Kei Nishikori next.

Young American Jared Donaldson showed grit and patience toppling 13th-seeded Lucas Pouille, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (8).

Donaldson delivered 10 aces in the match.

Pouille, who lost to Tommy Paul in Washington, D.C. last week, saved seven of eight break points and four match points, including three in the second-set tiebreak.

On the fifth match point, Pouille double faulted wide then challenged the call. Suspense built as Hawk-Eye did not immediately deliver its ruling, but when it did it showed the serve was wide.

“I think I played really well. My serve was great, so that really helped me to play first-strike tennis,” Donaldson said. “Both tie breaks were really competitive. The first one I came back on him a little bit, and the second one was just nip and tuck. Everything was so close. I’m just happy I was able to get through it in two sets. I feel like I focused really well.”

Nick Kyrgios snapped a two-month winless drought in emphatic fashion.

The 16th-seeded Kyrgios cranked eight aces and won 21 of 24 first-serve points vanquishing Viktor Troicki, 6-1, 6-2, in a 50-minute blow-out.

It was Kyrgios’ first win since he defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber at Roland Garros in May and his first completed match since bowing to Kevin Anderson in the Roland Garros second round. Kyrgios had retired from his past three matches at Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and Washington, D.C.

“I've been struggling the last couple months with a bunch of things,” Kyrgios told ATP World Tour.com. “I just have to keep doing the right things. I'm getting a lot of treatment, trying to do my rehab every day. I'm doing everything I can.” Kyrgios will face either American Frances Tiafoe or Italian Paolo Lorenzi in the second round.

A day after Alexander Zverev collected his fourth title of the season in Washington, D.C., older brother Mischa Zverev battled into the Rogers Cup second round.

Mischa Zverev fended off qualifier Norbert Gombos, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3, in two hours, one minute.

The 26th-ranked German set up a second-round clash with seventh-seeded Grigor Dimitrov, who won their lone prior meeting in Rotterdam earlier this year.

Benoit Paire beat Donald Young, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and will face Donaldson next.


 

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