The Cincinnati Masters physio proved Gael Monfils' best friend as he snapped the French player back into reality, helping him overcome Cameron Norrie.
Gael Monfils is back to beating solid players as the French veteran followed up a superb week in Toronto with another good showing at an ATP 1000 tournament. Monfils finally won multiple matches at the event last week, making his way to the quarter-final, where he faced Jannik Sinner.
As Sinner won the event, it's clear that Monfils' journey ended in the quarter-final, but it was a reasonable effort from the veteran who, in fairness, had a relatively modest draw. The litmus test was always going to be how well he continues to play but so far so good.
He stunned Cameron Norrie in the opening round of the Cincinnati Masters, coming back from a set down to the match. It was a pretty strong performance from Monfils, who credited the physio for his win. Earlier in the day, during the match, Monfils experienced knee pain looking very worried about another potential injury.
He's had far too many in his career, and after finally seeing the fruits of his hard labour, an injury was the last thing he needed. Luckily the pain was nothing too serious as the physio didn't notice anything unusual, giving him a simple pep talk. It was crucial, according to Monfils.
I think the physio came on court and did a great job. Not only the treatment, but he also managed to secure my head. He said ‘Honestly it’s gonna be fine,’ this means the world to me because of what I’ve been through.
Monfils doesn't know his opponent yet as Alex de Minaur and J.J. Wolf are yet to play their match. He never faced Wolf in a match and leads de Minaur 1-0 in the H2H.