Wildcard Monfils emerged victorious in the match with a score of 6-1, 7-6 (11-9), but the thrilling Doha encounter was far more intense than the final result suggests.
Monfils breezed through the initial set in less than half an hour, but chaos ensued in the second set, which lasted over an hour.
In the sixth game, Van de Zandschulp managed to break Monfils’ serve and found himself serving to force a deciding set at 5-4. However, the Frenchman quickly broke back, and the Dutchman squandered several set points in the following game.
At 5-6, frustration got the better of Van de Zandschulp as he smashed his racket in anger when Monfils executed a superb volley. Umpire Mohamed Lahyani issued a warning to the world No 70 for racket abuse, and the match eventually went to a tie-breaker.
Monfils took a commanding 6-3 lead in the tie-breaker, but Van de Zandschulp mounted a remarkable comeback, saving three match points and leveling the score at 9-9 before completely losing his composure.
With a chance to take a 10-9 lead and earn another set point, Van de Zandschulp served an ace but inexplicably decided to smash a ball into the crowd, resulting in a point penalty for ball abuse. The score remained tied at 9-9.
A few moments later, Monfils had another match point, and this time he secured the victory with a stroke of luck thanks to a net cord.
Have you ever witnessed such an extraordinary conclusion to a match? 😯 pic.twitter.com/PkNi6eGxJB
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 20, 2024
Currently ranked 60th in the world, Monfils expressed his relief at escaping with a win and acknowledged the role of luck after saving nine set points in the heated second set.
“To be honest, Van de Zandschulp played well. I lost my focus for a bit. But then I regained my energy, thanks to your support,” said the former world No 6, who is aiming for consecutive victories for the first time in 2024. “It was a true battle. In the end, I was fortunate. But hey, I’ll take it.”
Zhang Zhizhen, who caused an upset by defeating seventh seed Lorenzo Musetti 6-2, 6-0 in the first round, awaits Monfils in the second round. The winner of the Monfils-Zhang clash is projected to face third seed Ugo Humbert in the quarter-finals.
According to the Source tennis365.com