Roger Federer Battles Past Gael Monfils in Mutua Madrid Open Thriller

The World Number three, Roger Federer continued his clay court return at the Mutua Madrid Open 2019 by breaking the Frenchman, Gael Monfils in the opening game of the pre-quarterfinal and continued with his ascendency in the set. The Swiss defeated Monfils 6-0, 4-6, 7-6(3) and cruises into quarterfinals and he will meet Dominic Thiem tomorrow.

The Swiss bageled the French skyscraper in the opening set in just 18 and a half minutes and dropped just 9 points in the first set. In the second set, Gael Monfils happened to change gears and gave a tough time to the 20-time major champion.

This time it was the World Number 18, Monfils who was avenging for his gloomy first set. He took a 3-0 at the beginning of the set and refused Roger Federer to lead the set.

After Monfils double-faulted at break point, it permitted Roger Federer to come back in the set and break him at 4-3. After getting bageled Monfils turned out to be offensive against the Swiss.

A backhand down the line shot which concluded a 23-shot long rally from the Frenchman’s end turned out to be the shot of the match and held a 5-4 lead. Later, he broke Roger Federer to take the second set and pushed the match into the decider.

Monfils received an early break in the deciding set and took a 2-0 lead. And Federer was given a code violation for ball abuse. Before this match, Roger Federer has won 89 matches after bageling his opponent in the opening set and has lost none. On the contrary, Monfils was accelerating to change this equation.

The angle of the sun was not favorable for Roger Federer and he also requested for the roof, but the officials at Mutua Madrid Open 2019 denied. Later, Federer broke Monfils at 4-3 and kept the excitement on-going.

Gael Monfils came up with a match point at 6-5 and Federer saved it by coming up on the net and acing the ball. Later, the Swiss netted a ball and gave Monfils a match point again. And then extended the adventure in Madrid into the tiebreaker.

Roger Federer breezed to take a 3-0 lead with a lethal serve and saw off Gael Monfils by saving two matches and crushed him out in the tiebreaker. With this win, Roger Federer becomes the second player after Jimmy Connors in the Open Era to win 1200 matches and reaches another milestone in his career at the Spanish Masters event.