The Frenchman Gaël Monfils, who is showing a promising level at the start of the season, took out the Australian Jordan Thompson on Saturday and will face the number one seed, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, in the 3rd round of the Masters 1000 in Miami, in Florida.
After the loss of the first set in the deciding game (3/7), the “Monf'” did not provide details, leaving only three games to the 34th player in the world in the following two sets, won 6-1, 6- 2.
Back in the ATP Top 50 for the first time since the fall of 2022, the Ile-de-France native, currently 47th in the world, can prepare for an enticing third round against the favorite of the Florida tournament, Carlos Alcaraz.
The Murcian, still crowned with his title at Indian Wells last weekend, swept his compatriot Roberto Carballes (N.64) on Saturday in two sets and less than an hour and a half, 6-2, 6-1.
Faced with the 20-year-old Spanish prodigy, born when he was already preparing to join the professional circuit, Gaël Monfils will have to be more opportunistic than Carballes, who did not convert any of his three break points.
Like Alcaraz, the other main seeds did not tremble on Saturday: the Italian Jannik Sinner, winner of the Australian Open and seeded N.2, beat in two sets, 6 -3, 6-4, his compatriot Andrea Vavassori, out of qualifying.
The Russian Daniil Medvedev (N.3), winner last year in Florida, also dismissed the Hungarian Marton Fucsovics in two sets, 6-4 6-2, while the Norwegian Casper Ruud (N.7) needed of three sets to dismiss the young Frenchman Luca Van Assche 7-6 (7/5), 1-6, 6-1.
The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, seeded N.10, was on the other hand soundly beaten by the Canadian Denis Shapovalov (126th) 6-2, 6-4.
And the day was not sunny either for the American top seeds since Taylor Fritz (N.12) was surprised by a qualifier, the Brazilian Thiago Wild, 6-3, 6-4, while Tommy Paul ( N.13), injured in an ankle, had to give up against his compatriot Martin Damm Jr. while leading a set to zero (6-4, 1-2).
Francis Tiafoe (N.21) also said goodbye to the audience of the “Sunshine State” after his defeat against the Australian Christopher O'Connell (66th in the world), 7-5, 7-6 (7/5).