Aug 10, 2019; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Gael Monfils of France hits a shot against Roberto Bautista of Spain (not pictured) during the Rogers Cup tennis tournament at Stade IGA. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
August 10, 2019
(Reuters) – Frenchman Gael Monfils overwhelmed Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain in a third set tiebreak to set up a semi-final meeting with top seed Rafa Nadal at the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Saturday.
Monfils, hampered by an ankle injury, prevailed 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) in a quarter-final that took two days to complete because of rain.
“Honestly I don’t know,” the Frenchman said when asked about his match with Nadal scheduled for two hours later. “I don’t think my body is ready yet.”
But he said he was proud of the way he played on against Bautista Agut.
“I think I showed today I was a fighter. Now I hope it is not that bad,” he told ATP Tennis Radio.
The ankle started bothering Monfils in the second set, but after a visit by a physio he elected to continue.
Bautista Agut won the set comfortably and the third went to a tiebreak which Monfils led 5-0 before sealing victory with a huge forehand winner after more than two hours.
(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina, Editing by Ed Osmond)
