Gaël Monfils was eliminated in the round of 16 of the Miami Masters 1000 by Sebastian Korda, after a twist match that ended six hours after starting. Grigor Dimitrov, Francisco Cerundolo and Jakub Mensik rallied the quarters as well.
It was a stormy Tuesday in Miami, and he was fatal in Gaël Monfils. Having become the oldest player on Sunday (38 and a half) to qualify for the knockout stages of the Masters 1000 Florida, the Frenchman failed to spend an additional turn, being eliminated in three sets (6-4, 2-6, 6-4) by Sebastian Korda, which he had yet beat two weeks ago in Indian Wells. If the match officially lasted 1h59, it actually ended six hours after starting! The two players started the meeting at 12:15 pm local time, and Korda managed to win the first round thanks to a break at 1-1, without Monfils obtaining the slightest opportunity to break up.
The Frenchman seemed tired by his efforts from the previous towers (three sets against Marozsan, Lehecka and Munar), but he was able to find the resources to equalize a round by winning the last four games in the second set. In the third set, at 1-1, the Frenchman complained about the lack of light, because the storm arrived. After twelve minutes of interruption to light the spotlight, the game resumed and Korda managed to break 3-3 on its first occasion in the set.
The American then asked for the physiotherapy intervention to massage his right forearm, and it was then that the rain arrived, and interrupted the match for 3:30. The two players were then recalled on the court at 5:45 p.m., but it was still necessary to wait almost 25 minutes for the match to resume because the short was not dry enough! Upon recovery, Sebastian Korda did not tremble and kept his station wagon in advance to the end to win. If this match will not have been of a great tennis level, it will have at least been rich in twists and turns … We will now find Gaël Monfils in Monte-Carlo, while Sebastian Korda will face Novak Djokovic or Lorenzo Musetti.
Dimitrov and Cerundolo Solids, Machac still forfeited
Grigor Dimitrov, world n ° 15, had managed to qualify before the storm, against Brandon Nakashima. The Bulgarian won 6-4, 7-5 in 1h23 by serving 12 aices and without having the slightest break ball to defend. A 4-4 break in the first set and 5-5 in the second allowed him to win and challenge Francisco Cerundolo. The Argentinian has undertaken from Casper Ruud on the score of 6-4, 6-2 in 1h25, without ever being breaker. He took the Norwegian service at 3-3 in the first set and then at 0-0 and 3-1 in the second. And when he led 6-4, 5-1, the storm came to interrupt the match for 3:30.
But like Korda, Cerundolo did not tremble when concluding. Finally, the 100% Czech duel planned during the evening session between the 21st World Tomas Machac and the 54th Jakub Mensik will not take place. Machac is sick and forfeit for this match. This is already his third package or abandonment since the start of the season and the seventh since the last US Open! The talented 24 -year -old Czech, winner of ATP 500 ACAPULCO at the beginning of the month, is very fragile, and it is his compatriot who will face Arthur son or Alexander Zverev (whose match was postponed to Wednesday) in the quarterfinals.
