Read & Watch: Is That A Bird, A Plane, A Monfils?

Frenchman Gael Monfils was at his acrobatic and entertaining best on Tuesday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. He and Marin Cilic had split the first two sets, and Monfils wanted to set the tone of the third set early.

Serving at 30/0, the Frenchman delivered a near service winner down the T that Cilic barely got a racquet on. The ball hung in the air before Monfils took control of the point, rocketing a forehand to Cilic’s backhand corner. Then the real fireworks began.

Cilic replied with a soft backhand lob, and Monfils leaped into the air for the tomahawk. “Ahhh, the slam dunk!” the announcer shouted.

His fellow commentator added, “That’s worth the entrance money, isn’t it?”

Monfils held to love and won 83 per cent of the points in the decider (24/29) to cruise to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win. He will next meet Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis.

Read More & Watch Highlights: Monfils Extends Perfect Record Against Cilic