Toronto Masters: Monfils marches into quarter-finals

Frenchman Gael Monfils defeated Australian lucky loser Aleksandar Vukic 6-4, 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the Toronto Masters at the Aviva Centre on Thursday night.

For Monfils, it is the first time the former world No 6 has made the quarter-finals of a Masters tournament in more than two years.

After the match, Monfils explained how he’s feeling in Toronto, saying:

“It’s a great feeling that my body is holding up for this week, I’m happy when I can play almost 100 percent.”

“When I have enough practice, and my body is almost 100%, I still feel like I can compete.”

And compete he has, with 36-year-old in sublime form this week, winning against American Christopher Eubanks (7-6 (3), 6-7 (4), 6-1) and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, the No 4 seed (6-4, 6-3).

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“I will always be hard to beat”: Monfils on a roll after turning over Tsitsipas

Tennis Majors

Monfils, ranked No 276, will face the winner of the match between Andy Murray and Italian Jannik Sinner, the No 7 seed, next.

Vukic, ranked No 62, beat Croat Borna Coric, the No 14 seed (6-2, 6-3) and edged out American Sebastian Korda (6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5)) in the previous rounds of the Canadian Open.

Toronto Masters, other last 16 results (Aviva Centre, hard, USD 6.600.000, most recent results first):

• Andy Murray vs. Jannik Sinner
• Tommy Paul vs. Marcos Giron
• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Hubert Hurkacz: thursday
• Alex De Minaur beat Taylor Fritz (8): 7-6 (7), 4-6, 6-1
• Daniil Medvedev (2) beat Lorenzo Musetti (16): 6-4, 6-4
• Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Casper Ruud (3): 7-6 (4), 4-6, 7-6 (4)
• Mackenzie McDonald beat Milos Raonic (WC): 6-3, 6-3