Gael Monfils is having fun with an important season at 38! The veteran has been amassing age milestones all through 2025, with the latest coming on the Miami Masters. Gael secured two victories and booked his place within the third spherical.
Monfils ousted Fabian Marozsan within the first spherical for a profitable begin. The veteran confronted the twenty sixth seed Jiri Lehecka within the second spherical and saved a match level in a 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 victory in two hours and 6 minutes.
Thus, Gael turned the second-oldest participant with two wins at a single Masters 1000 occasion. Ivo Karlovic achieved that in Indian Wells six years in the past at 40, and Monfils now stands second on that record. The Frenchman can be the second-oldest participant within the Miami Open third spherical after Jimmy Connors in 1992.
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Monfils made a livid begin and outplayed the younger Czech within the first set. Lehecka responded with a single break within the second set, they usually stayed neck and neck till the deciding tie break. Gael squandered three match factors earlier than going through one at 7-8.
The veteran saved it and clinched the breaker 10-8 to emerge on the high and earn age milestones. Monfils clinched ten factors greater than his opponent. He dominated along with his first serve and denied 4 of 5 break factors.
Lehecka misplaced serve two instances within the opener and served effectively after that. Nevertheless, he missed his likelihood within the decisive moments and ended his marketing campaign within the second spherical. The 38-year-old tamed his strokes beautifully towards an aggressive rival.
Gael Monfils, Miami Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Gael landed 32 direct factors and 22 unforced errors, outplaying Jiri’s 38-48 ratio. Monfils solid a 34-25 buffer in service winners and took cost from the baseline, overpowering the younger gun 54-34! Lehecka responded strongly on the internet, taking 25 factors, 20 greater than his opponent.
Monfils dominated the shortest exchanges as much as 4 strokes, incomes the victory in that phase. The veteran carried out at his finest within the opening set and clinched it in 24 minutes! Gael defended two break factors within the first recreation of the duel and gained confidence.
He handed his rival with a backhand down the road winner within the second recreation and secured one other break two video games later after a horrible smash from his rival. Monfils served for the opener at 5-1 and held at 30 to convey the primary a part of the duel residence in type.
Gael Monfils, Miami Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Jiri denied two break factors within the second recreation of the second set. He welcomed the veteran’s backhand error within the fourth recreation for his solely break and a 3-1 benefit. The Czech performed towards two break factors within the seventh recreation, saving them and touchdown a volley winner for 5-2.
Lehecka served for the set at 5-3 and positioned a volley winner on the internet, leveling the general rating after 61 minutes and forcing a decider. Monfils confronted the exit door within the seventh recreation after providing his rival two break factors.
Gael Monfils, Miami Open 2025© Stream screenshot
Jiri attacked on the primary and performed two horrible volleys that may price him dearly! The set went right into a tie break, they usually traded early mini-breaks. Gael moved 4-2 up earlier than Jiri pulled the mini-break again within the ninth level with a potent assault.
The Czech confronted two match factors at 4-6 and denied them. Lehecka saved one other match level at 6-7 with an assault and a smash winner on the internet. The younger gun offered one other volley winner within the fifteenth level, shifting 8-7 up and producing a match level.
Gael stayed composed and saved it with a service winner. He hit one other for the fourth match level and seized it with a backhand winner, passing his rival and shifting into the third spherical.
