Monfils Edges First Test In Antayla

Gael Monfils got off to a winning start on his Turkish Airlines Open Antalya debut on Wednesday, but was made to work hard for a place in the quarter-finals.

The fourth seed beat Slovenian qualifier Blaz Kavcic 6-3, 5-7, 7-5 in two hours and four minutes, having led by one set and 2-0. Monfils recovered from 3-4, 15/40 in the deciding set, breaking in the 11th game. The 31-year-old Frenchman lifted his seventh ATP World Tour trophy (7-20 in finals) in the first week of 2018 at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open final (d. Rublev).

“It’s always good to have your first grass-court match under your belt,” said Monfils. “It’s never easy, particularly against a qualifier, who has had more time on the courts. I’m not a big grass specialist, but I always try my best.

“The grass is a little soft, so it doesn’t bounce as well, meaning I had to concentrate and be on top of my game. I would like to come back into the Top 10, and now I feel I am back 100 per cent body-wise, but I need to get fitter. He was fighting all the time. I received great support, particularly in front of the kids, and I think we gave them a good show.”

World No. 41 Monfils finished in the year-end Top 10 of the ATP Rankings in 2016 after achieving a career-high of No. 6 on 7 November 2016. However, knee and Achilles injuries hampered his time on the court last season.

Monfils will next face Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, who saved one match point to defeat fifth-seeded Dutchman Robin Haase 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(2) victory in two hours and 27 minutes. Haase held his nerve on serve at 5-6, 30/40 and Ad-Out, in the second set and held one match point opportunity at 6-5, with Garcia-Lopez serving at Ad-Out. In their only previous meeting, Garcia-Lopez also beat Haase 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) at the 2014 ASB Classic.

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