Monfils has reached his first UTS final in five attempts, extending his streak of making finals on either the ATP or UTS Tours to 20 consecutive years.
“I’m moving extremely well since yesterday,” said Monfils, showcasing his exceptional passing shots from the back of the court against Tsitsipas. “I’m trying.”
La Monf outlasts El Greco in physical match
The match between Monfils and Tsitsipas was a fiercely physical battle under the hot New York sun, as both players struggled to keep up with the fast pace of the UTS format.
“We’re running a marathon, we’re not playing tennis,” exclaimed El Greco between quarters.
“Look, I can barely talk right now. This is all physical.”
The difference between the two players was their utilization of the UTS cards. Tsitsipas, on one instance, thought he had played his card, only to be informed by the umpire that it wasn’t signaled correctly.
This led to Tsitsipas winning four consecutive points in the third quarter, but ultimately falling short, smashing his racquet in frustration.
Tsitsipas managed to win the fourth quarter, with seven of his 13 UTS matches going to sudden death.
Despite this, Tsitsipas faltered in the sudden death period due to UTS’s one serve rule, hitting a serve into the net and giving match point to La Monf.
Monfils seized the opportunity, clinching victory with a backhand pass up the line as Tsitsipas approached the net.
Earlier in the tournament, Monfils defeated two-time defending champion Andrey “Rublo” Rublev in straight quarters.
Tsitsipas faced The Bublik Enemy and advanced to the semi-finals after Nick “King” Kyrgios withdrew.
