Gael Monfils has cantered into the French Open third round, easing concerns he had going into his home grand slam with a 6-1 6-4 6-1 victory over Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro to set up a mouth-watering clash with compatriot Richard Gasquet.
No Frenchman has won the title at Roland Garros since Yannick Noah lifted the Musketeers Cup in 1983.
There will be three in the third round, and at least one in the fourth with Monfils taking on 24th seed Gasquet on Sunday after his countryman sailed past Victor Estrella Burgos 6-1 6-0 6-4, winning the first 13 points of a one-sided match.
“I started well and had no physical pain, I wanted to get it over with before the night,” said Gasquet, who like Monfils is now 30 years old.
“Gael is one of my best friends, we’re both getting better physically and let’s hope we’ll play a great match.”
World number No.3 Stan Wawrinka came out on top in his slugfest with Ukraine’s Alexandr Dolgopolov, winning 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 to set up a third round showdown with Italian maverick Fabio Fognini.
The 2015 French Open champion, who has yet to drop a set this week, may have won in three but it was tougher than it looked. The unpredictable Dolgopolov, a former top-20 player, gave him a run for his money.
“He pushed me, he pressed me and I had to stay concentrated,” said Wawrinka. “It was a big game and the level was extremely high.
“I had to keep pushing back. I served well and that helped so I am satisfied.”
Wawrinka and Dolgopolov broke each other once early in the first set and both players aggressively looked for quick winners with their rallies lasting an average of 2.8 shots.
But the 32-year-old Wawrinka, aiming to become only the third man in the professional era to win three or more slams after turning 30, squeezed in another break to snatch the first set with a fierce backhand down the line.
The pair traded blows in a finely balanced second set before taking it into a tiebreak, with Wawrinka again emerging victorious. He sealed the second set with an ace.
It was a similar story in the third set with both players pummelling each other until Wawrinka broke Dolgopolov a second time to clinch victory and deny the world No.89 his first third-round spot in Paris since 2011.
Fognini could be equally tricky and Wawrinka said he was not looking forward to playing him.
“He is unpredictable like Dolgopolov,” he said. “It will be a dangerous match.”
Croatian seventh seed Marin Cilic defeated young Russian Konstantin Kravchuk 6-3 6-2 6-2.
Japanese eighth seed Kei Nishikori needed a visit from the trainer and a third-set chest massage on his way to eliminating Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3 6-0 7-6 (7-5).
Asia’s top player next faces Korea’s Chung Hyeon, a winner over Denis Istomin 6-1 7-5 6-1.
Russian Karen Khachanov upset Czech 13th seed Tomas Berdych 7-5 6-4 6-4.
