Gael Monfils, Australian Open and Ben Shelton
Veteran Gael Monfils has rolled back the years in recent weeks with a string of incredible performances, but the Frenchman said he had exceeded his limit after retiring hurt from his fourth-round Australian Open match against Ben Shelton on Monday.
Monfils was struggling with a back injury at the start of the fourth set as Ben Shelton advanced to the quarter-finals
French veteran Gaël Monfils rolled back the years to stun the USA’s No. 4 seed Taylor Fritz in the third round of the Australian Open on Saturday, winning 3-6 7-5 7-6(1) 6-4 after three hours and eight minutes of scintillating tennis.
Gael Monfils has joined Roger Federer as the only men to reach the Australian Open's fourth round at age 38 or older since the tournament field expanded to 128 players in 1988.
After his historic win, Monfils returned to Margaret Court Arena and sat in the stands to watch his wife, Svitolina, eliminate the women's No. 4 seed, two-time major finalist Jasmine Paolini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 at night.
The 19th-seeded Shelton looks to match his best major showing, a semifinal at the 2023 US Open. Earlier that year, Shelton advanced to the last eight Down Under on his first international trip. Fellow unseeded American, Tommy Paul, ultimately ended that run.
Gael Monfils is into the Australian Open fourth round at the ripe old age of 38 - making him the second oldest player ever to do so.
Novak Djokovic was at the centre of another Australian Open row on Monday while Jannik Sinner needed medical attention in fierce heat to battle into the quarter-finals and Iga Swiatek won easily. But American teenage qualifier Learner Tien’s fairytale run is over after he suffered a thigh problem in a four-set defeat to Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego in Melbourne.
Champion Australian tennis coach Roger Rasheed bit off more than he could chew at the Australian Open on Monday when an attempted dad joke went wrong
Ben Shelton confirmed that he has a great feeling for the Australian Open, qualifying for the quarterfinals thanks to his victory over Gael Monfils today. The match gave a great show for three sets, until the French veteran was forced to retire due to a physical problem.
American player and world No. 4 Taylor Fritz will face France's Gael Monfils tonight in Margaret Court Arena following the women's singles match between U.S. player Emma Navarro and Ons Jabeur. The match will take place in Margaret Arena no sooner than 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT today.