French Open 2011: Swiss Roger Federer and Frenchman Gael Monfils Battle Du Jour

We arrive at this quarterfinal match via Gael Monfils’ FRA (nine) win over David Ferrer ESP (seven) 6-4, 2-6, 7-5, 1-6, 8-6 and Roger Federer’s SUI (three) win over Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (14) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

Gael Monfils had an outstanding 11 aces to five for David Ferrer, despite Ferrers 80 percent break point conversions to 30 percent for Monfils.

Roger Federer’s 32 to 19, winners for Wawrinka, plus Federer’s 83 percent break point conversions won to 50% percent for Wawrinka, tells a decisive story. At the other end of this rivalry are good friends achieving and growing on the Tennis court. 

Federer, relinquishing a game to Monfils for a 2-1 advantage, with break, was starting off to be an inspirational story for this 24-year-old Frenchman residing in Switzerland.

Monfils added another hold in this first set for a 3-1 advantage. Federer soon thereafter started his comeback of sorts within the set. The fifth game was quite competitive with a number of break points exchanged.

Federer converted on one of the breaks offered and brought the game score to 3-2, first set on serve. We eventually get to 4-3, with holds, and Monfils serving in the eighth game.

With his vicious forehand staccato, Federer gathers another break point. Again, we exchange breakers in this eighth game as well. Monfils follows the breaker with an ace.

Throw in a double fault, and this could be the longest game of the set, with several deuces added in. Monfils continues to torque the body and comes up with winners, but to no avail, Federer scores it even at fours, on serve.

Roger holds and the first set score is now 5-4. Gael loses the first two points in this 10^th game, as Federer approaches the net from a Monfils drop volley and puts it away.

Perhaps both looking for focus in this game, after a 40-15 lead by Federer, Monfils draws it even. Gael goes long on a volley approach, and Roger takes the set, 6-4.

Beginning the second set, Federer holds and has two break point chances in the following game on serve. At 40-15, Roger had the right combination for the Monfils serve to break the game scoring a 2-0 in the second set.

Gael takes his first game of the second set, finishing of the approach with a lunging volley. He then goes onto break back and serves to even the score of the second set.

Set score is 3-2 and Monfils to serve. Utilizing his great amoeba like form, he turns into a retriever, aggressor and a statue posing on overheads and approaches to the net.

Federer gets broken back in this sixth game of the set. We reach several deuces in this game, each struggling to stay on top in the middle of the set.

There was a point in the game where hours and minutes were exceeding normal standards. Then Federer breaks Monfils after missing a couple of opportunities.

Federer stretches the lead for a 40-0 score in game seven in the second set, with a 4-2 lead and a break. Monfils takes an injury time out for a blister on the right hand.  

So we move the score ahead to capture a 5-2 picture with Federer. Monfils to serve. After the injury time out, Monfils rides a wave to bring the set closer to 5-3. Some dust started to kick up and both players and the chair umpire were waiting for the wind to subside.

At 5-3 with a break, Federer moved forward to claim the second set. He jumps out to a 40-0 score, and one point will scores the victory. However, Gael pulls to 40-30, but just doesn’t have enough to draw deuce as Roger closes out the second set, 6-3.

In set three, Monfils is first up to serve. This is where the picture starts to clear up, as Monfils has four winners to 14 for Federer. The story unfolds and is tightly contested.

Gael comes out storming while Duece looms before you can blink an eye. Monfils follows with a blistering forehand and “Sky Gael” overhead.

We shift back and forth from deuce to advantage and back again. Who wants this match more takes their opportunity and seized it, “Carpe Diem.”

Federer breaks this long distance game for a 1-0 lead, and succinctly hits a backhand overhead for the winner while Monfils serves in the second game.

The backhand overhead is a true test of a Professional who has all the shots. While without it, it opens up a weakness that could be exploited with ease. Time eclipsed 1:38.

Monfils opens a 40-0 lead on his racket and eventually wins the game after Federer comes ever so close in getting to deuce. A new can of balls are opened, and on we go.

In the most dominating way to control a point, Monfils hits three inside out forehands to Rogers backhand and breaks Federer back to bring the set score to 2-2 even.

Monfils picks up the next game utilizing the inside out forehand with a staccato for the winner. It’s 3-2 Roger on serve, and he hits with flair for the eye, and sound to listen.

We eventually pick-up on the tiebreak in the third set, and the consistency of the style of play during this match is a constant.

With both struggling to hold and displaying the stamina and fluidity of motion of these two artists, one from France and the other a Swiss cannot be left unexpressed.

We are in the tiebreak and Federer pulls out to a 4-1 advantage. With three more points to claim victory, he stays focused in on one goal.

With Monfils, a brilliant shot maker and competitor, he fights back. It’s a 6-3 tiebreak score, and he no sooner develops a varied and mature game, that Federer closes it out, 7-3.

Your box score is, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(3).

It’s of some note to respecting the changing of the guard. With Federer’s topspin staccato forehand pulling his opponents way off court, we could be seeing a game in evolution.

No more do we see the open stance strokes, like during the past 20 years. The Sampras/Federer effect over the past 25 years influences the landscape of Tennis today.

We gather that many players today make a full 180 degree body turn resulting in greater weight and spin of shot, which results in less body jarring hits from the toes to the head.

Whether one method is better than the other, we don’t know. Let’s just notice how the game may be changing, and perhaps even extending careers for years to come.