ATP Shanghai Masters, Tsitsipas v Monfils: Story of the match
The ATP Shanghai masters' main draw got off to a start today. Stefanos Tsitsipas and Gael Monfils started off their encounter in the Centre Court. Like the previous match on the court between Francis Tiafoe and Matt Ebden, this one would go the distance too.
The contest went for well over 2 hours as both the players traded blows throughout. The Frenchman wasted set points in the first set and lost it while the Greek had way too many unforced errors to lose the second. Usually, one does not see these players express their emotions as much as they did today.
Both had their reasons though, for Monfils it was to remind us his worth as a player and for Tsitsipas it was to keep the surge in rankings going. It was the latter that came out on top cashing in on the former's lapses in concentration winning 7-6 4-6 6-3. Here are the stories from each set of the first round match:
Chapter 1 - The First Set
Tsitsipas drew first blood, breaking the Monfils serve in the first game with 2 good points from 30-30. He consolidated the break and was leading 3-1 going into the 5th game. Monfils saved a break point in that game and turned it on the next game. He broke the Tsitsipas serve in his 3rd break point of the game.
His serve was put to the ultimate test as his opponent raced to 0-40, but the Frenchman won 5 points in a row to go level. In the very next game, it was the Greek who saved 2 break points to stop his rival's flow.
Being ahead 6-5 Monfils wasted one of 3 set points off his adversary's serve trying a fancy drop shot to a perfectly smashable ball. That would prove costly as Stefanos Tsitsipas won the tie-break in a canter.