Nadal advances in straights, Monfils gets a rare win

Rafael Nadal’s bid for a 14th title at Roland Garros began with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-6(3) victory over Alexei Popyrin on Tuesday afternoon. Nadal fought off two set points late in the third before prevailing in two hours and 23 minutes.

Popyrin broke Nadal for the first and only time to grab a 4-2 lead in the third, which he consolidated for 5-2. Following a Nadal hold, the 21-year-old served for the set at 5-3 and even went up 40-15. However, Popyrin squandered double-set point first with a double-fault and then with an overhead that sailed to the back fall. Two wild forehands later and the Aussie’s chance was over.

Nadal went on to steal the third set in a tiebreaker, but even if he hadn’t the Spaniard would not have been worried.

“Even losing the third set I (would) have been in a very good position to try to win the match,” the third seed said. “Match point is a different story. You lose the point, you’re over. You are back home. Here you lose the set. Okay, we are playing best-of-five. The other player needs to win two more sets to beat you, and I know I’m gonna be there fighting for every single point.”

“So of course I don’t want to lose the set at all, but that’s part of the game. You face a player that [ who has] decided to go for every shot, so you are in trouble. If he’s having success like he did with his serve, then it’s difficult to have breaks; then you are in a tricky position.”

Popyrin should have taken the match to a fourth set, but nonetheless he will take away some positives.

“It’s an experience; I would say it’s a good experience,” the world No. 63 reflected. “It was a good match. I think it’s his court. It will always be his court. I think it’s his favorite court to play on. And to nearly get a set out of him playing my first time on that court is a good achievement for me. But I’m still disappointed with it.

“I think the emotion right now is definitely disappointment. Choked in that third set; could have taken to the fourth; should have taken it to the fourth. We chalk this one down to experience, but I don’t want to chalk many matches down to experience much longer. I think I’m experienced enough to not choke at 5-3, 40-30. You know, I’m disappointed with that. But overall I think I played a good [match].” 

As for Gael Monfils, he played a good match arguably for the first time since February of 2020. Monfils earned his second–and by far his biggest–win of the season and his second in the last 15 months when he defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas 1-6, 7-6(6), 6-4, 6-4.

Inspired by what was at least something of a crowd on Court Suzanne-Lenglen, the Frenchman triumphed after three hours and two minutes.

“It was incredible,” Monfils assured. “It was not like a full crowd, but it was enough to make a decent spirit. I could feel their energy. I was very happy (on court). You know, to be honest, the main thing that made me happy (was that) it’s been a long time (since) I play in front of both of my parents; my brother. So that was very big for me. Very, very big.

“It was like very big, to be honest, for me (with the) crowd. Made it special for me. I was missing them; I was missing that and the crowd. It’s easy to say, but I put that win on the crowd (and) my parents. That helped me quite a lot to [play] a better match.

“I was more relaxed. I was more me…a bit more fun. It was a better Gael Monfils today.”