Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils have set up an intriguing semifinal clash in Monte-Carlo on Saturday. The winner will go up against either Andy Murray or Rafael Nadal for the title.
It will be an all-French affair when Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Gael Monfils battle for a place in the final of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Saturday afternoon. Tsonga is leading the head-to-head series 4-2 at the ATP level, but he has not defeated Monfils since picking up a pair of wins in 2012 and 2013. Monfils won their most recent encounter 6-4, 7-6(4), last spring in Miami.
Their only previous clay-court tilt came on the Futures circuit back in 2003, when Tsonga got the job done 6-2, 6-3.
Fast forward 13 years and both veterans are still going strong as they head into a clay-court showdown with much higher stakes this time around. Monfils is still in search of his first Masters 1000 title and he has put himself within two victories of such an accomplishment by capitalizing on a draw that turned suddenly from taxing to favorable. A once-loaded top quarter of the bracket saw David Ferrer withdraw due to injury before Novak Djokovic lost his opening match against Jiri Vesely. Monfils has not dropped a set while taking out Gilles Muller, Paolo Lorenzi, Vesely, and lucky loser Marcel Granollers. The world No. 16 is a stellar 19-5 for the year and has to be especially confident on the heels of quarterfinal performances in both Indian Wells and Miami.
Tsonga did not fare as well in Miami, where he fell to Roberto Bautista Agut in the third round, and he had been a modest 11-6 for his 2016 campaign prior to this week. The eighth seed appears to be turning it all around in Monte-Carlo with straight-set defeats of Pablo Carreno Busta and Lucas Pouille prior to a 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Roger Federer on Friday.
Although it is never wise to cast judgments on Monfils’ physical well-being (or lack thereof), he did not look 100 percent during his second set against Granollers. Additionally, Tsonga may be especially motivated to advance even further in Monte-Carlo given his relative struggles in 2016 (he is currently 14th in the race to London, while Monfils is fifth). Fresh off a huge win over Federer, Tsonga is likely to maintain momentum by being the aggressor in what should be an engrossing contest.
Pick: Tsonga in 3
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You improved this avatar — nice. I can see more of Rafa. Even with the little dingle balls chopped off the crown, it would still look good, I think.