Used to raising crowds at Porte d'Auteuil, once a semi-finalist in 2008 and three times quarter-finalists (2009, 2011, 2014), the 9th world player Gaël Monfils sank in silence, this Monday, dominated by Alexander Bublik ( 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3).
Monfils warned the press: “This Roland-Garros is not going to be the same tournament as the one I dreamed of (..) I'm a little sad.
The stadium is empty, the weather is not very pleasant so far ”.
Scheduled on the Suzanne Lenglen court, the match rang hollow.
Very hollow.
The French number one cannot feed on the energy of an almost non-existent public and took the door as soon as he entered the running.
The Parisian confirmed his poor shape and his spleen on the ground.
In distress, he has accumulated unforced errors (58) and double faults (12): “I don't have great feelings at the moment.
I can't be well on the pitch.
Alexander made his match.
I made a lot of mistakes and double faults.
I must manage to find the rhythm in the service.
I am not playing well.
It gives this result in these not ideal conditions… I am necessarily disappointed.
I don't have much to add.
It happens to lose three times in a row in the first round.
It happens and it has happened to me before.
I'll go back to training.
When you lose, it's necessarily harder. ”
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Stopped since resuming the circuit
Eliminated from the start in Rome and Hamburg, the French, short of pace and benchmarks, did not approach his favorite tournament in the best conditions, he who has not won on the circuit since February 27.
He must have been wary of Alexander Bublik.
The 23-year-old Kazakh, follower of shattering statements ("I only play for the money") and spoon services, has, as expected, caused problems.
With the arrival, a sacred disillusion.
To see Monfils released so early on the courts of Porte d'Auteuil, you had to go back to 2005.
Monfils had started 2020 perfectly with two titles in Montpellier and Rotterdam, plus a round of 16 at the Australian Open and a semi-final in Dubai.
Performances that had allowed him to climb to 9th place in the ATP ranking.
But that was before the Covid-19 crisis ... What will the end of the season be like?
Mystery.
“It's very hard to answer like that.
At the moment, I am registered in Cologne, Germany.
I'm going to go home, I'll take some time for myself.
I'm going to train again, that's for sure.
After that, see when I will resume competition, I have time. ”
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