Monfils Having Fun During Maiden South America Tour

Gael Monfils might have to come back to South America for the “Golden Swing” in future years. The Frenchman, who played his first ATP World Tour match on the continent last week in Quito, won another match during the clay-court swing on Thursday, beating Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3 at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires.

Monfils’ return game carried him. The Frenchman won 52 per cent of the points that started on Lajovic’s racquet (36/69), almost a higher percentage than Monfils won on his own serve, 56 per cent (37/66).

He will next meet Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer, who saved two of three break points to upset fourth seed Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-3. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez also participated in the upset party, stunning second-seeded countryman Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6(5), 1-6, 7-6(6).

Carreno Busta reached the semi-finals in Buenos Aires last year. Garcia-Lopez will next play Argentine Federico Delbonis, who prevailed past Portugal’s Gastao Elias 7-6(5), 7-6(6) in two hours and 19 minutes.

DID YOU KNOW?
The last Argentine to win the title in Buenos Aires was David Nalbandian in 2008.