Tennis: Friendly fire as Monfils beats Wawrinka to win Rotterdam Open

ROTTERDAM -- Gael Monfils defeated good friend Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 on Sunday to win his eighth career title at the Rotterdam Open.

Monfils, the runner-up three years ago, held off Wawrinka's second-set surge to ease through the decider.

"It was an unbelievable week, a pleasure," said Monfils.

"Stan is a part of this win. We've been talking a lot and practising a lot. You're my brother," he told his Swiss opponent.

"This has been a good week for Stan and a good week for me. I hope we can have many more battles."

Wawrinka, the 2015 champion in the Dutch port city who is continuing an 18-month comeback from double knee surgery, was playing in his first final since Roland Garros in June 2017.

"It was great for sure to be in the final," Wawrinka said. "I'm pleased with the way I played in it and the way I arrived to the final.

"I played four good matches here, I kept my level up all week."

Three-time major winner Wawrinka said he hopes to build on his run this week.

"I need to keep doing what I've been doing the last few months. I need to play events to gain confidence. Keeping going is the only way to get back my ranking," said the world number 68.

It was the first championship match in 11 years at Rotterdam to feature two unseeded players.

Monfils, 32, showed no hard evidence of the left wrist injury which has bothered him all week and forced him onto a regime of pain-killers.

"I struggled with the wrist all week," he said. "I came out running hard in the first game to make him feel I was there.

"But when I hit as hard as I could with the backhand -- 'ohhh'," he said in reference to the wrist pain he was feeling.

"I've been in worse shape, but I'm really exhausted after this week."

The world number 33 triumphed in one and three-quarter hours with four service breaks against three-time major winner Wawrinka as he claimed his first title since Doha last year.

The Frenchman took the opening set with two breaks of Wawrinka, but the 33-year-old Swiss immediately returned the favour with a 6-1 second set.

In the third, Monfils broke for 2-1, taking control of his opponent's mighty backhand.

The Frenchman moved to 5-2 and saved a break point a game later as he closed out victory.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Indian Aces top table after IPTL Manila leg

MANILA, Philippines -- The Indian Aces proved to be the best team so far in the inaugural International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) as they defeated the UAE Royals, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3, and 6-4 in the final day of the Manila leg Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

Frenchman Gael Monfils was the star of the night for the Aces, as he lifted them to victory in the men's doubles and in the men's singles, while Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza continued their winning run in the mixed doubles.

The Aces' 28-20 aggregate victory over the Royals means that they are now at the top of the table at the end of the opening leg of the IPTL.

"I love this format, and I love this event," said Monfils, who by the second day of the IPTL had become the darling of the crowd. "I think we have fun our there, and we are good friends (among the team)."

"It was a good pick for our team... We have fun out there, but still, we are serious on the court, so for me, it's great," he added.

Both the Royals and the Aces were unbeaten entering Sunday's match, having won their Friday and Saturday matches.

The Royals got off to a winning start after Kristina Mladenovic stunned world No. 5 and crowd favorite Ana Ivanovic in the women's singles set, 6-4.

The pair of Bopanna and Mirza put the Aces on the win column with a great performance in the mixed doubles, beating Mladenovic and Nenad Zimonjic. Bopanna and Mirza again showed off the chemistry that allowed them to beat the superstar pair of Andy Murray and Maria Sharapova Saturday night.

Bopanna then teamed up with Monfils in the men's singles, and they combined to see off Zimonjic and Cilic in an entertaining set that saw the Frenchman thrill the crowd with his athletic moves.

Monfils entertained the crowd in the break between sets as well, dancing to the tune of "Teach Me How to Dougie" and playing to the audience, who eagerly cheered and applauded his every move.

Against Cilic in the men's singles, Monfils showed that he was as great a tennis player as he was a dancer, taking a 2-1 advantage against the U.S. Open champion who seemed to struggle with his return.

Ahead of the fourth game, the Royals substituted Tunisian world No. 80 Malek Jaziri in place of Cilic, and the move seemed to briefly throw off Monfils as Jaziri tied the set at 2-2.

"I was a bit surprised, and at the end, I hope that Marin is good," said Monfils. "You know, I know Malik, I've played against him (before), and I know he is tough."

"Maybe not everybody knows that he is this good, but he's very strong," he added.

Monfils quickly regained his composure, however, winning the next two games in quick fashion. Jaziri salvaged a game to make it 3-4, but Monfils showed remarkable shot-making in the eight game, winning a sensational rally through a perfectly placed lob. His momentum carried into the ninth game, where he blanked Jaziri to seal the win.

"I was in great shape at the end of the game," said Monfils.

The final set of the match pitted Fabrice Santoro against another crowd favorite, Goran Ivanisevic, in the legends set. Ivanisevic, as he had done all throughout the Manila leg, played to the audience all throughout, but Santoro broke his serve in the final game to cap the win for the Aces.

The Indian Aces now have 12 points to top the table at the end of the Manila leg, while the Royals settled for 10 points after losing their last match.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Beaten Federer consoled by shaking 'ghost' off his back

LILLE, France - Despite his defeat by Gael Monfils in Friday's second singles rubber of the Davis Cup final, Roger Federer found something to smile about as the Swiss got "a ghost" off his back.

The 17-times grand slam champion, who lost 6-1 6-4 6-3 as France drew level 1-1 following Stan Wawrinka's opening victory over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, explained that the recent discomfort he felt in his back began to ease the longer the contest went on.

"It wasn't all negative. I started to feel better as the match went on. That's very encouraging," Federer told a news conference.

"You don't have to be in unbelievably excruciating pain but it takes a while for it to leave your mind. It's like a ghost.

"But that's why it was good for me to play three sets today. It definitely gives us a lot of information. I would think that I'm going to get better as the weekend goes on."

Switzerland captain Severin Luthi now has to decide whether to pair Federer and Wawrinka in Saturday's doubles.

He named Michael Lammer and Marcio Chiudinelli at Thursday's draw and has until one hour before the match to change his lineup.

Asked if he was able to play three days in a row, Federer sounded optimistic.

"I would be ready to do that if, as ever, it's the best choice," he said.

"I know there are less risks than a few days ago, or less than this morning, so I'm making myself available for the team as much as I can, 100 percent, not only as a player but in whatever role I can play," added Federer.

"I'm there to support them and support the team. This is what I always do."

Wawrinka said he was ready to play on Saturday when the Swiss pair will face Richard Gasquet and Julien Benneteau unless France captain Arnaud Clement decides to replace the latter with Tsonga.

"I'm always ready to play everything. But we'll do like we always do...we'll discuss and see where we are," said Wawrinka who was impressive in his 6-1 3-6 6-3 6-2 defeat of Tsonga. (Editing by Tony Jimenez)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com