01/13/26 02:14:00
Printable Page
01/13 02:09 CST Gael Monfils loses in 1st round in Auckland in likely his
farewell season
Gael Monfils loses in 1st round in Auckland in likely his farewell season
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) --- Defending champion Gael Monfils lost his opening
match at the ATP Tour stop in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday, three days
after his wife Elina Svitolina won her 19th WTA Tour title on the same court.
The 39-year-old Frenchman lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to 26-year-old Hungarian Fabian
Marozsan at the ASB Classic in what may be the first match of his farewell
season.
Monfils won the Auckland title in 2025 and told his wife Elina before her final
on Sunday "if you don't win this year I don't know what to tell you anymore."
Svitolina and Monfils are one of only a few husband and wife teams to have held
ATP and WTA singles titles in the same tournament at the same time.
Monfils started strongly in his first tournament since September, winning the
first set with a break in the 11th game. He sent down 10 aces in the match.
Monfils lost his first service game in the second set as Marozsan pulled off
two superb winners at the net and went on to lose the set 6-3.
Monfils put up a great fight in the third set. After dropping his serve in the
fifth game, he broke back immediately and tested Marozsan with his power
variation. But Marozsan achieved the crucial break at 5-4 and held to take the
match in exactly two hours.
"It's always special to play against Gael. He's a legend and a great player,"
Marozsan said.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
|
