But this summer, with the help of his new coach, Swede Mikael Tillstrom, he is enjoying a great season, making it to the quarterfinals in the Australian Open and winning the Citi Open.
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It is becoming obvious Gael Monfils can win tennis matches in either guise.
Gael Monfils defeated fellow Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets to reach the semi-finals of the US Open on Tuesday.
Monfils took issue with the media emphasis on his showmanship skills.
“I’m trying to improve, of course, my mental side, because I know I need to stay focused on my game, trying to be here in this moment and not thinking about what’s happened and just thinking about the positive things”, Kerber said. “With all due respect to everyone, you guys put me on the spot”. He makes you work for each point. “What’s the point to make the show and lose, actually?”
Tenth seed Monfils was his dynamic self and invincible from the service line in a commanding win over 22-year-old Pouille, who was coming off three successive five-set wins including a fourth-round upset of 14-times grand slam victor Rafa Nadal.
After surviving a break point at 1-1 in the opening set, Pouille fell behind in his next service game as Monfils took an early grip on the match, sealing the set with a superb cross-court forehand. Monfils knew that moving Pouille would pay dividends. The Parisian is one of the most exciting players because quite simply he’s everything in one package: audaciously talented, improvisational and extremely frustrating to watch. You have to make the ideal shot.
NEW YORK-A hard-charging Lucas Pouille closed the net only to see Gael Monfils bend low and flick a lob victor over his head. “No, I might ask him so many questions”.
Monfils has won 16 straight since a loss to Japan’s Kei Nishikori in the Rio Olympics. Noah, captain to Monfils and Tsonga on the French Davis Cup team, is the last Frenchman to raise a Grand Slam title trophy.
Monfils, 30, had too many tricks up his sleeve, even if his trick shots didn’t always land fair, as was the case when he ran to the baseline during the second game of the second set and blasted a return between his legs that landed in the net. “It’s something I’ll need to figure out at the end of the year”, Vinci said in Italian, with a laugh. Two days ago, during his fourth-round match against Marcos Baghdatis, he paused mid-point to – no kidding – fiddle with a shoelace. I think I handled it pretty good mentally and tennistically.
Monfils is yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows and will face Novak Djokovic or Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the last four.
Monfils has been all business at the U.S. Open, using his speed and power to brush aside opponents.
Monfils says the training he puts in allows his body to withstand the stresses he puts on it. He’s someone I look at when I was younger because he was a bit older than me.
“We have not taken any final decision, but as I understand her, it will not be a long career”, he was quoted as saying.
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Stay tuned, this is going to be a good one.
