Corentin Moutet lost as soon as he entered the Metz tournament, in the tie-break of the third set against the Australian Aleksandar Vukic. The Frenchman notably missed two match points.
There will be five French people in the round of 16 of the ATP 250 in Metz, but none among the seeded French. After Arthur Rinderknech (n°6), it is in fact Corentin Moutet (n°8) who took the door as soon as he entered the competition in the Moselle tournament.
The 31st player in the world battled for 2h44, before losing in the tie-break of the third set against the 87th Aleksandar Vukic, who had already beaten him in Shanghai last year. The Frenchman may have regrets because he obtained two match points in the third set, before losing 3-6, 7-6, 7-6. Author of twelve aces, the Ile-de-France native did not lose his serve during this match, but that was not enough.
Moutet misses chances
Corentin Moutet started the match well, winning the first set 6-3 thanks to a break at 3-2, with only one break point to defend. In the second, the games went up to 6-5 in favor of the Australian, notably author of three shutouts. He then got a set point on the Frenchman’s serve, which saved it.
The two players therefore had to decide in the tie-break. A tight decisive game, where Moutet held until 5-5, but at 7-6, Vukic converted his second set point. Everything had to be done again for the Frenchman. In the third set, Moutet missed a break point at 4-3, then two others at 5-4, which were therefore match points, during a long game. The Australian showed himself solid to win this game, and everything therefore came down to a new decisive game.
Moutet fifth man?
Moutet started it perfectly, leading 5-1, but then collapsed! Vukic got back to 5-5, then got three match points, all saved by the Frenchman. But the fourth, at 9-8, was the good one, and it is therefore the Australian who will see the eighth, against Matteo Berrettini. Corentin Moutet’s great ATP season therefore ends there. Ranked 69th at the start of January, he will finish the year around 34th place.
The native of Neuilly-sur-Seine is now waiting to know if he will be called up as the fifth man for the final phase of the Davis Cup. As French No. 2, he can be hopeful, despite this early elimination in Metz. Also note this Tuesday the elimination of the No. 4 seed Flavio Cobolli by his compatriot Lorenzo Sonego (2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in 2h08).
