Gael Monfils pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat at his ASB Classic semifinal match against Nishesh Basavareddy. Monfils won the match in two extremely close and competitive sets, 7-6, 6-4. Only a few points separated the two players.
Body language experts certainly would not have predicted the outcome. Monfils looked to be struggling with the heat and physicality of the match. He frequently was bent over, grimacing between points and games to gather himself to continue playing.
Ageless wonder 🌟
38-year-old @Gael_Monfils defeats Basavareddy 7-6 6-4 to become the second oldest ATP finalist since 1990! #ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/6KJGEgM4zI
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 10, 2025
It worked because he played the key points a little bit better than Basavareddy who just turned pro in December 2024 after spending two years at Stanford.
With the win, Gael Monfils advances to an ATP final for 20 out of his 21 years on the tour. His showmanship and ability to hang in matches are amazing and were once again on display today though the showmanship was admittedly muted because of the conditions and the tight match.
Gael Monfils Is 2-0 Against Basavareddy
Though Basavareddy has only been a pro for a month, this is his second loss to Monfils. He lost in three sets at Brisbane International. Basavareddy will be ranked 107th when the updated rankings come out on Monday. He is an impressive young player who has the honor of facing Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open. In an even larger ironic twist, Basavareddy’s Stanford coach, Paul Goldstein, is one of just three American men to beat Novak Djokovic in a Grand Slam at the first round of the 2006 Australian Open. The other two are Andy Roddick and Sam Querrey.
Gael Monfils will hopefully have plenty of gas left in the tank after the ASB Classic final. The ASB Classic players have a four hour flight from Auckland, New Zealand to Melbourne, Australia on their itineraries this weekend.
