Monfils credits “magic” for Roland-Garros five-set record
The Frenchman has now won 12 five-set matches at Roland-Garros
© Julien Nouet / Tennis Majors
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, French veteran Gael Monfils completed yet another five-set victory in front of a raucous local crowd at Roland-Garros in Paris.
The win was Monfils’ 12th time going the distance and winning at the French Open, handing him the record for the most five-set wins in the tournament’s history.
At just shy of 39 years old, the world No 42’s heroics were nothing short of miraculous. He himself credits his efforts to a little bit of magic.
“It’s really magic. It’s strange,” he said to reporters after beating Hugo Dellien 4-6, 3-6, 7-1, 7-6(4), 6-1 in three hours and 36 minutes.
“I feel like the belief, the belief of myself, the belief that even I’m down, I need to find the solution. I think I have also even more here [at Roland-Garros] but I have to find the solution, have to find the solution.
“I keep fighting with the opponent, with my thoughts also because it is never easy also in your mind. To be honest, for me it is the belief, the belief in myself. I know at Roland-Garros is a little bit different, so I even push more.”
Unwanted magic for Monfils
Despite thrilling the Parisian crowd, Monfils confessed that at his age, he would much rather be getting through matches in straight sets than going the distance.
“I don’t like such a situation,” he said, before reflecting on what went wrong against Dellien. “Honestly I was disappointed because I was well into the match tactically, I was moving well. I was upset about the double-fault for the set point because I believe I could have turned this first set around. I was leading 2-0. For many reasons I got tense.
“But these are not situations that I like. Even less now. Even less now. I can tell you because I’m not necessarily stronger. I always manage, but that’s it.
“There’s this point which was incredible for the match, was this passing shot. I tried something. I thought I was going to lose the point. I thought this was over. I hit a winner. I had to dare. It’s being a mentalist. That is magic. You go for it and, boom, you succeed.
“Thanks to experience I was able to continue my match. I can’t explain what happens. Just a lot of success.”
