By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, September 6, 2016
"It is never easy to play quarterfinal against a French guy. I think I handled it pretty good mentally and tennistically," said Gael Monfils after reaching his first US Open semifinal.
Photo credit: AP Photo
NEW YORK—A hard-charging Lucas Pouille closed the net only to see Gael Monfils bend low and flick a lob winner over his head.
Even with the Arthur Ashe Stadium retractable roof closed, Monfils conjured rainbows.
US Open: Live Blog, Day 9
In an all-French quarterfinal, Monfils turned Pouille's relentless aggression into punch lines for creative passes posting a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory flying into his first US Open semifinal.
"I'm happy with my performance," Monfils said. "I think it is never easy to play quarterfinal against a French guy. I think I handled it pretty good mentally and tennistically.
"I'm happy with that and where my game is. Serve was a bit better. I have been saying I think to the French press that I could serve faster. I think I did it great today. Still moving good. I'm very happy."
Playing the most dynamic tennis of his career, the 30-year-old Monfils has won 19 of his last 21 hard-court matches surging into the semifinals without surrendering a set.
Monfils snapped a six-match losing streak in major quarterfinals bursting into his first Grand Slam semifinal since he reached the French Open final four in 2008.
The elastic Monfils smacked 13 aces, permitted just seven points on his first serve, did not face a break point and played much cleaner tennis than Pouille, who committed 44 unforced errors compared to 15 for his 10th-seeded opponent.
Sometimes score lines are misleading. Not today.
Serving with command, moving with smooth urgency and striking with control, Monfils was masterful against a flat opponent.
Contesting his second straight Grand Slam quarterfinal, Pouille looked emotionally drained and physically depleted following his thrilling conquest of Rafael Nadal in a dramatic fifth-set tie break. You can certainly understand the cause: That was Pouille's third consecutive five-set struggle, including a comeback from two sets down to defeat veteran Swiss qualifier Marco Chiudinelli in round two.
Pouille sprayed a forehand down the line to fall into a triple break point hole. An inside-out forehand missed the mark as Monfils seized the first break and a 4-3 lead. Monfils thumped through a two-ace game to back up the break.
Monfils curled a crosscourt forehand winner wrapping up a love hold to seize the 35-minute first set. It was business as usual for Pouille, who dropped the first set in four of his five matches.
Pouille saved two break points to open second set, but quickly found himself under pressure again. Badly bungling a pair of relatively routine volleys, he fell into a double break point hole. When Pouille scattered another forehand, Monfils broke again for 2-1.
The three-time quarterfinalist extended the lead to 4-3 when spitting showers promoted tournament referee Brian Earley came out to close the roof, prompting about a 15-minute delay.
With the retractable roof closed, Monfils shut Pouille down thumping successive aces to stretch the lead to 5-3.
A horror-show two double-fault game cost Pouille the second break and second set.
One of tennis' most creative entertainers is competing with clear conviction on the game's largest Grand Slam stage though Monfils bristles at the notion he's sacrificed serious play for showmanship in the past suggesting that is perception rather than reality.
"It make me laugh, because honestly, if I can do it today, let's say today if I have a 360 smash, definitely I do it, but I don't have the ball," Monfils said. "Sometime I have it and I do it, and then the first thing is gonna be talk about is all match it was an exhibition and maybe I hit one shot.
"So it's funny. Now, you know, I get to be more consistent with the winning, you know. Because, I mean, now it's easier to say, Oh, because I'm winning more, you know, more matches, so it's tougher for some people to say that I'm just a showman. Now I'm winning and faire le show."
A high-flying Monfils soared to snap off a high forehand volley snatching the break and a 3-1 third-set lead and never looked back wrapping up an impressive victory in two hours, two minutes.
The day began with three Frenchmen in the Flushing Meadows last eight; the first time that's happened since 1927 when the tournament was the US Championships staged at Forest Hills. Now, two Frenchmen remain.
A familiar face will stand between Monfils and his first Grand Slam final as he will meet either world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, who defeated Monfils in his first US Open appearance 11 years ago, or childhood friend Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals.
It's been 33 years since Yannick Noah won Roland Garros. Noah, captain to Monfils and Tsonga on the French Davis Cup team, is the last Frenchman to raise a Grand Slam title trophy.
Monfils envisions a "dream" semifinal against the teammate he regard as "a brother."
"It would be a huge dream, I think," Monfils said. "A dream. Definitely we will choose the final, but semis would be good enough.
"You know, it's not a good friend. He's one of my best friends. He's a brother. He's someone I grew up with. He's someone I look at when I was younger because he was a bit older than me... If you can have a reward and play, I mean, the semifinal in two days, it would be amazing."