By the editorial staff
Published
,
Update
Gaël Monfils will not see the second round in Lyon. Aaron Gilbert/Icon Sportswire / PANORAMIC
Gaël Monfils lost in the first round at the ATP 250 in Lyon on Tuesday, beaten in three sets by the Argentinian Pedro Cachin. But the 36-year-old does not despair.
The balance sheet is not getting better for Gaël Monfils, who has won only one match since his return to the courts last March after 7 months in the infirmary. The Frenchman was beaten in the first round of the Lyon tournament on Tuesday by Pedro Cachin in three sets (6-2, 3-6, 4-6).
Monfils, 36, is still looking for his rhythm in 2023, he who has just ceased his collaboration with his trainer, Günter Bresnik. The Frenchman is in 386th place in the ATP ranking. Hit in the foot in August 2022, he had returned to victory last March, facing his compatriot Evan Furness (213th player in the world) at the challenger of Ostrava). The latter had given up while Monfils led 6-3, 2-0.
The Parisian is nevertheless expected at Roland-Garros with his protected ranking (N.35). “I’m frustrated, of course. We must always do better than the opponent. I missed a bit of everything. There are bad tactical choices, bad areas. I have to do better, be more solid in the last two games“, he confided.
“Win or lose, but play well”
“You have to find this patience that I had and it was when I felt good physically, when I was able to chain point after point, to be able to recover well between the points, to feel able to make the field a little smaller for the opponent. I want to do well, to find a good level of play. Win or lose, but to play well“Monfils continued.
“I got into it, really, but you have to do it every week. On matches a bit like this, you win and the confidence starts up again. And if they tell me it’s “not too disgusting”, I take“, he concluded.