Monfils out after defeat to world No 86 Emil Ruusuvuori‘I have no confidence. I don’t feel good, it shows’Just under a year ago, before sports momentarily stopped, Gaël Monfils was quietly the resurgent force in men’s
Tennis. He had won 15 of 16 matches while boasting two tournament victories, he navigated a surprise return to the top 10 at the age of 33 and he was the only person to truly threaten Novak Djokovic’s invincible start to the season, holding triple match point against the world No 1 in Dubai before he fell.
The first day of the 2021
Australian Open was a simple reminder of how long ago that all was. Monfils, the 10th seed, became the first notable upset of the tournament as he lost 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 in the first round to the world No 86, Emil Ruusuvuori of Finland.