Monfils earns clinical win in Shanghai opener

Gael Monfils delivered a vintage performance to kickstart his 2024 campaign at the Rolex Shanghai Masters on Wednesday.

The 38-year-old’s explosive game was on full display as he overpowered Bosnian Damir Dzumhur 6-4, 6-3 to advance to the second round. Monfils crushed 22 winners, according to Infosys ATP Stats, to extend their Lexus ATP Head2Head series lead against Dzumhur to 3-0.

Putting on a show ?@Gael_Monfils moves through to Round 2 in Shanghai.@SH_RolexMasters | #RolexShanghaiMasters pic.twitter.com/x4zfnueVBL

“It was not easy, Damir is a really fast player,” Monfils said after his one-hour and 21-minute victory. “It was a little bit slower with these conditions, so it helped him stay in the points. I couldn’t really power him off the court, but it also helped me sometimes. So, at the end of the day, I tried to focus on my game and use my serve and forehand as much as I can.”

Monfils, the No. 46 in the PIF ATP Rankings, is making his seventh appearance in Shanghai, where his most memorable run came in 2013 after he downed Roger Federer en route to the quarter-finals. He will face Sebastian Baez in the second round this year at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Earlier, Arthur Cazaux proved too good for Marin Cilic as the 22-year-old outlasted the Croatian with some calculated shotmaking to advance. Cazaux clinched a 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour and 36 minutes.

Cazaux, who set up a second-round clash with Tokyo finalist Ugo Humbert, was one of four French winners on day one in Shanghai.

Arthur Rinderknech overcame Reilly Opelka, 6-4, 7-6(5) in a battle of two of the biggest servers on the ATP Tour, before Alexandre Muller put on the afterburners to finish with a flourish against Luca Nardi. Muller rallied to a 4-6, 6-1, 6-1 win over the Italian. 

Botic van de Zandschulp also got his campaign underway with a sturdy 7-6(5), 6-2 win over Pablo Carreno Busta. The Dutchman was clinical on serve, winning 77 per cent of first-serve points and saving the sole break point he faced in the match.