Frenchman Gael Monfils dazzled a filled-to-capacity Grandstand on Sunday at Flushing Meadows, beating American killer (upset Andy Roddick in 2nd round), Janko Tipsarevic, in four thrilling sets. The match was tightly contested, including two intense tie-breaks that were split between the two. It was Monfils’ incredible flexibility and resilience that earned him the 7-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 win. He finished with 18 aces and 56 winners.
This will be the 17th-seeded Monfils’ third straight year reaching the round of 16 at the US Open. He’s never gotten past that point.
New York favorite and Yonkers-born James Blake, didn’t fair so well. He went up against Serbian Novak Djokovic (3) and lost in straight sets. The very windy conditions during the night match in Arthur Ashe Stadium didn’t favor the American’s game. He’s known for extreme intensity and finding the lines, but that strategy fails in high wind, as it frequently carries the ball out of bounds. Djokovic played it safe, minimizing costly unforced errors.
Blake was hot and cold during the match, with the crowd of 24,000 struggling to stay behind him. He was down a set (6-1), but found his form in the second, forcing a tie-break. Three points from taking the set, he lost his way and sealed his fate by ripping a forehand winner that ricocheted wide off of the net cord. Djokovic took the tie-breaker and ultimately the match, 6-1, 7-6, 6-3.
After having fallen to 108th in the ranking, the loss held a little more weight for the 30-year-old:
“I really hope that wasn’t my last match on Arthur Ashe Stadium … I definitely want to be back next year. If it was, I competed my heart out. But I think I got more in me and think I’m going to be back there. I’m going to take a little break,” he said.
