Monfils: Vive la difference
Gael Monfils follows his own rules.
The guy does things on a tennis court no-one else has – or can. Just search his name on YouTube and watch any of many video clips showcasing his speed and agility; start with the parallel-to-theground, a-few-feet-in-the-air dive at this year’s French Open.
He sips soda during breaks in his matches, raising the can in a toast to his agent.
He is without any coach at all, in an era when some players have two.
What Monfils has never done, despite all his talent – and in some cases, because he has appeared to value style over substance right there on court, in the middle of a point, preferring the spectacular to the sufficient – is reach a grand slam final. He took a step closer yesterday at the US Open during a surprisingly matter-of-fact 7-5, 7-6 (8-6), 7-5 victory in the fourth round over No 7seeded Grigor Dimitrov, a man considered one of the sport’s up-and-comers.
There is a narrative building around the 20th-seeded Monfils’ success so far this year at Flushing Meadows. He has matured, is playing more carefully, more seriously.
The Frenchman, who will face Roger Federer for a semifinals spot, rejected that notion after his win yesterday.
‘‘I’m the same. So I will say I’m a bit more lucky than I was maybe sometime in the past. I think I haven’t changed a lot, to be honest. I haven’t changed a lot,’’ Monfils said. ‘‘I just play maybe solid today, but I’m still the same.’’
Monfils’ lone grand slam semifinal appearance came at the 2008 French Open, when he lost to Federer, part of a 2-7 career mark against the 17-time major champion.
Federer advanced to the US Open quarterfinals for the 10th time in 11 years by eliminating 17th-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 yesterday. Federer won the point on 35 of 52 trips to the net.
In women’s quarterfinals yesterday, 39th-ranked Peng Shuai, of China, ended the precocious run of 17-year-old Belinda Belic, of Switzerland, 6-2, 6-1. Peng’s next opponent will be No 10 Caroline Wozniacki, the 2009 US Open runner-up, who overwhelmed No 13 Sara Errani 6-0, 6-1 in a wind-whipped match.
Wozniacki used her aggressive groundstroke game brilliantly, engaging in long baseline rallies but using superior power to open the court and find lanes for blasting home winners.