No.1 seed Gael Monfils needed just 53 minutes to dismantle Juan Manuel Cerundolo in his opening match at the 2022 Adelaide International.
Monfils stormed to a 6-2 6-1 win on Thursday night at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, reminding fans of his supreme athleticism with a leaping forehand winner on match point.
“I’m very happy. Tonight was a great match. Feel great. Great match point. Ready for the next one,” said Monfils, who is embarking on his 19th season as a pro.
Trick shot on match point…who else? 🤪@Gael_Monfils #AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/m92AwnRi0p
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 6, 2022
His second-round victory over the 20-year-old Argentine sets up a quarterfinal showdown with the in-form Tommy Paul.
Paul, the sixth seed, extended his winning streak to seven matches with a 6-4 6-7(1) 6-4 win over Japanese qualifier Taro Daniel.
The 24-year-old Paul broke through for his first ATP title in Stockholm in November, his last tournament of the 2021 season.
He is now sitting at a career-high ranking of world No.43.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals on Thursday in Adelaide was second seed Karen Khachanov, who stopped Steve Johnson 6-4 4-6 6-2.
Khachanov, a former world No.8, next meets Belarusian Egor Gerasimov, a three-set winner over Italy’s Gianluca Mager.
Monfils and Khachanov, the top two seeds at the Adelaide International, have joined third seed Marin Cilic in the last eight, with all three former top-10 players adding star power to the quarterfinal line-up.
So too is local wildcard Thanasi Kokkinakis, who on Wednesday night lit up Memorial Drive with a come-from-behind triumph over No.4 seed Frances Tiafoe to reach his first ATP-level quarterfinal in two-and-a-half years.
But Thursday night was all about Monfils, who broke serve three times in the opening set to immediately take control.
The 35-year-old Frenchman then broke serve in the fourth game of the second set to take a 3-1 lead, ultimately winning 14 of the last 15 points of the match to complete a dominant display.
His scorching, cross-court forehand winner, played in mid-air, to seal the match led to a discussion of his vaunted on-court athleticism and movement.
“First of all it’s thanks to my parents, I guess I got the good genes,” he joked in his on-court interview.
“And then it’s a lot of hard work. I try to change my routine every year. Try to focus on some spots, maybe it’s like the Achilles or the calf, and make it stronger to still have this quick fibers to be able to jump or have this quickness on the court.
“And then it’s just to believe that I’m still fast. And I guess I’m still fast.”