By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, May 3, 2022
Novak Djokovic denied all five break points he faced dismissing Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to roll into the Madrid round of 16 for the 10th time.
Photo credity: Getty
Tennis is a territorial battle.
A ruthless Novak Djokovic refuses to give up any ground to Gael Monfils wherever they meet.
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The top-seeded Djokovic denied all five break points he faced dismissing Monfils 6-3, 6-2 to roll into the Mutua Madrid Open round of 16 for the 10th time.
Maintaining his career-long mastery of Monfils, Djokovic raised his career record to 18-0 against the flamboyant Frenchman making Open Era history as the first man to own an 18-0 mark over an opponent.
The 87-minute victory ensures Djokovic will retain his world No. 1 ranking. When the new ATP rankings are released on Monday, Djokovic will celebrate a record-extending 369th week on top. "I would probably rate it as the best performance of the year, I would say," Djokovic told the media in Madrid. "I felt very good on the court. Interruption probably helped me a bit more than him...
"I played one of the most athletic and quickest players that we have in the game, Gael. I know his game very well. I know I have to always be ready that another ball will always come back from his part of the court, that you have to constantly try to have a controlled aggression, so to say, and dictate the point."
The entertaining Monfils relishes rematches with Djokovic the way you might celebrate impending root canal surgery.
Can you blame him?
You’d be skittish too if one player plagued with you with losses over 17 years in nine different countries across three different surfaces.
Today, Monfils, who toppled world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells in March, had cause to believe he could finally terminate the trauma. Not only has Djokovic struggled with illness, fatigue and a loss to Andrey Rublev in his hometown final last month, Monfils held three match points against his long-time nemesis the last time they squared off at the 2020 Dubai. Furthermore, the 35-year-old Serbian took the court knowing he lost the injured Medvedev would supplant him in the top spot.
There’s a time and place for everything—and facing Djokovic between the lines is a relentless riddle the Frenchman can’t solve.
The top seed saved a pair of break points holding for 2-1 on a couple of forehand errors from the Frenchman. Djokovic was serving at 2-all, deuce when the rain arrived prompting a suspension in play so officials could close the roof over Manolo Santana Stadium.
After a break to close the roof and permit the players a three-minute warm-up, play resumed.
The pair unleashed pent-up energy collaborating on the longest rally of the day—a 34-shot exchange—that ended with Monfils raking a forehand winner down the line for a third break point. The Frenchman sprayed a forehand to squander break point and Djokovic drew another forehand error holding for 3-2.
The simplest explanation for Djokovic’s dominance of this lopsided rivalry is the Serbian does everything a little bit better.
Still, when Monfils chooses to unleash his jolting power he reminds you of his untapped offensive potential.
The Frenchman rocketed a forehand winner that eclipsed triple digits in miles per hour only to cough up a double fault to face double break point. A Monfils forehand flicked off the top of the tape and flew long as Djokovic earned the opening break for 4-2.
"When I made a break on 3-2, I felt a relief and I started to play on a high level in general," Djokovic said. "I think I was moving well, dictating with the forehand side, moving him around the court and finding my serve also the last few service games, return.
"Just generally very, very good performance. I'm very pleased, considering that up to today I was not playing my best tennis in the few tournaments that I played this year and still kind of finding my rhythm, finding my groove."
When things got tense, Djokovic’s skill driving down the line and carving out sharper angles gave him the edge. The three-time champion worked through a tricky hold confirming the break in the seventh game.
Forty-seven minutes into the match, Djokovic sent a serve down the middle sealing a one-set lead on the strength of a single service break.
Content to try to rally with the world No. 1, Monfils paid the price with a sloppy service game. The Frenchman pasted a backhand into net dropping serve at love to cede the break and a 2-1 second-set lead.
A forehand flick and a brilliant tweener retrieval from Monfils were highlights early in the second set. Djokovic held for 3-2 before a brief conversation with the chair umpire.
“What challenge? I’m going to see the mark—it’s clay,” Djokovic told chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani, who cautioned him on taking too much time on serve.
When Monfils tried to amp up the pace of his forehand he found the top of the tape. Djokovic converted his third break point in as many chances breaking for 5-2.
Serving for the round of 16, Djokovic denied two break points punishing a pair of backhand down the line drives. Djokovic drilled a final serve winner out wide maintaining his mastery of Monfils.
Snapping a streak of five straight three-setters, Djokovic will face either former No. 1 Andy Murray or 14th-seeded Denis Shapovalov, the man be beat in the 2021 Wimbledon semifinals, next.