TNT Sports
Cincinnati Open 2024: Gael Monfils comes from behind to pull off shock win over Olympic silver medallist Carlos Alcaraz
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Updated 16/08/2024 at 22:19 GMT+1
Veteran French star Gael Monfils rolled back the years as he defeated Carlos Alcaraz in three sets in the second round of the Cincinnati Open on Friday, completing a match that had been interrupted by rain on Thursday evening. His three-set comeback win means he will come up against Holger Rune later in the day in the third round in the United States.
'Physically I can get better,' Sinner says after opening Cincy win
Video credit: SNTV
Gael Monfils came back from a set behind to defeat Carlos Alcaraz in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters, while Jannik Sinner progressed to the quarter-finals.
Monfils lost the opening set, but won the following on a tie-break and then completed a 4-6 7-6(7-5) 6-4 victory.
The two are on the trail to prepare for the final Grand Slam of the year, at the US Open in New York.
Monfils appeared at the Olympic Games in his home country earlier this summer, but failed to get close to a medal.
Alcaraz picked up a silver in Paris, and is aiming for a Grand Slam hat-trick after landing the French Open and Wimbledon already this year.
The Spaniard had taken the first set 6-4, and Monfils was battling to hold on in the second, 3-1 down in the tie-break.
The tension was lifted for both players when rain stopped play for the evening, putting back the conclusion until they could return on Friday afternoon.
Monfils held his nerve to win the tie-break, setting up a decisive third set.
The 37-year-old Frenchman maintained his momentum to grab a shock victory over the 21-year-old opponent.
At times, Alcaraz was clearly frustrated as he struggled in windy conditions, smashing his racquet in the third set when he failed to take a chance to break his opponent.
Monfils will play Holger Rune later on Friday in the round of 16.
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Carlos Alcaraz
Image credit: Getty Images
World No. 1 Sinner enjoyed a walkover in his match, reaching the quarter-finals when his opponent Jordan Thompson pulled out with a rib injury.
Sinner will face Andrey Rublev on Saturday, after Rublev defeated Brandon Nakashima 7-6(5) 6-1.
After a difficult first set, Rublev made just two unforced errors in the second set to complete a victory in 82 minutes.
With Alcaraz already out, another Spaniard, Pablo Carreno Busta, was also beaten. He lost to Alexander Zverev 7-5 7-6(6), who will play the winner of Ben Shelton v Fabian Marozsan.
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