Nineteen Lexus ATP Head2Head conferences. Nineteen wins for Novak Djokovic towards Gael Monfils.
The Serbian prolonged his dominance within the matchup into historic territory on Thursday on the Western & Southern Open. Following his 6-3, 6-2 victory, Djokovic now owns essentially the most wins and not using a defeat in any Lexus ATP Head2Head matchup — breaking a tie with Rafael Nadal, who’s 18-0 towards Richard Gasquet.
“It was type of an evolution of each gamers over the previous 15-plus years that we have been enjoying one another in several elements of the world, additionally in juniors,” Djokovic mentioned of their historical past. “I believe early on I struggled lots with him, I believe bodily as properly. If you play on of essentially the most athletic guys on the Tour, you must be prepared, each ball comes again. A few factors right this moment, particularly within the first set he confirmed his athleticism.”
After a second-set retirement by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina handed Djokovic a win in his first match on American soil since 2021, the World No. 2 performed two strong units to dismiss Monfils, dominating the baseline rallies in a one-hour, eight-minute victory. With victory in his first accomplished match since he misplaced to Carlos Alcaraz within the Wimbledon closing, Djokovic stays on track for a possible rematch with the World No. 1 Spaniard within the title spherical.
Now 17-1 on exhausting courts this season, Djokovic is searching for his third Cincinnati title. His first Western & Southern Open crown in 2018 earned him a Profession Golden Masters, finishing his field set of trophies on the ATP Masters 1000. He repeated as champion in 2020, when the occasion was held in New York.
Monfils, who reached the Toronto quarter-finals final week, was bidding to make back-to-back runs to that stage at Masters 1000s for the primary time since 2016 (Indian Wells, Miami). The Frenchman was additionally denied a second Prime 4 win in as many weeks, following his upset of Stefanos Tsitsipas in Toronto.
Djokovic took over on the Cincinnati centre courtroom from 3-3 within the first set. The Serbian capitalised on a free service sport from Monfils to interrupt at love for 5-3, then moved via the gears to win eight straight video games and construct a 5-0 lead in set two. Monfils claimed his first break level of the evening to keep away from a bagel second set, however Djokovic made no mistake on his second try and serve out the win.
“I simply managed to carry my serve actually comfortably. I believe I used to be hitting the spots properly, and simply made him play,” mentioned Djokovic, who burdened the significance of serving properly within the fast Cincinnati circumstances. “He made a number of unforced errors at 4-3 within the first set at hand me the break. After that it was no trying again for me. I began to lift the extent increasingly, nearly a flawless second set. I suppose his sport fits me. It is good to see him again. We’ve not performed for fairly a number of years. It is nice to see him again enjoying at a excessive stage.”
Subsequent up for Djokovic will probably be residence favorite Taylor Fritz, who superior to the quarters when Laslo Djere retired whereas trailing 0-5 of their Thursday assembly. The American is thru to his second straight Cincinnati quarter-final and his twelfth general this season, together with eight on exhausting courts. He’ll convey a 31-8 hard-court document this season into his seventh Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly with Djokovic, who has gained all six of their earlier encounters.