We came close to having an all-French final at the Open de Nice Cote d’Azur.
The locals dreamed of it, but fate had other plans. After Edouard Roger-Vasselin’s defeat against Albert Montanes, the Nice crowd still had reason to celebrate with Monfils’ superb qualification…
From 2:30 PM, the voice of Camille Pin, now a seasoned announcer, echoed from the central court. The kickoff of the Franco-Spanish duel was given.
ERV stops at the doorstep of the final
The first to enter the arena was Edouard Roger-Vasselin, facing Albert Montanes, a former 22nd in the ATP rankings.
Never since its revival in 2010 had the central court been so sparsely filled at this stage of the competition. Objectively, it is true that the matchup isn’t particularly thrilling. The days of Verdasco and Almagro in the semifinals are long gone.
Edouard Roger-Vasselin is someone most people know only because of his father, Christophe, a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 1983. Granted, the stature is not the same … Nevertheless, reaching the semifinals in Nice confirms the clear progress made by the young Roger-Vasselin since the beginning of the year.
Opportunities came right away, with the Frenchman having a chance to break in the very first game, twice. Missed opportunities that condemned ERV to chase the score. The two men held their serves throughout the set until 5/4 in favor of Montanes.
At that point, the Frenchman served to stay in the set and went up 40/0 … only to collapse. At the start of the second set, Roger-Vasselin hung on tenaciously. It was an excellent attitude worth highlighting. He was soon rewarded in the third game when he finally managed to break. Despite a small scare when closing, the first set point was the good one. Kneeling with clenched fists, ERV ignited the crowd and fully got back into the match. People even started believing in a possible French victory. Unfortunately, he completely missed the third set and succumbed to a particularly in-form Montanes.
At 32, the Spaniard qualified for the Nice final, 6/4 4/6 6/0.
Thus, Edouard Roger-Vasselin’s journey ended, stopped just short of the final. In any case, the Frenchman honored his wild card. At 29, in the prime of his career, ERV has nothing to be ashamed of in his performance and can be proud of his week. His goal? To reach the “top 50,” a ranking he feels is “not too far away.”
Monfils secures his final
After Edouard Roger-Vasselin’s defeat, all hopes rested on Gaël Monfils. On paper, the Spaniard is clearly the favorite considering his recent results. However, Andujar refuses to wear the favorite’s hat before the match. The Spaniard, very clear-headed, knows perfectly well that the Frenchman’s ranking does not reflect his talent.
As for Monfils, he expected a “physical match,” and he was not wrong.
Today, “la Monf” convinced against a formidable opponent. A very inspired and in-control Gaël who could count on a crowd entirely on his side. The 26-year-old Frenchman is confident, and it shows. Despite a few lapses, the current world number 109 managed to wrap it up in two sets 7-5 6-4. A match characterized by profound sportsmanship between two “friends” who respect and appreciate each other.
In the midst of a rebuilding phase, Monfils needed to regain the rhythm linked to the succession of matches and also the confidence he had in previous years. That’s now been achieved in Nice with his qualification for the final.
As always for the past four years, it will be against a Spaniard. A match within Monfils’ reach, even if Montanes won their last encounter. That was at Monte Carlo a month ago, and the Frenchman lost after a hard-fought match. It will also be a remake of the Stuttgart final in 2010. Monfils, injured at the ankle, had to retire after losing the first set. There’s therefore a sense of revenge in the air. Since then, things have changed … Gaël, too.
We wish this time he finds the solution.
For the record, the Frenchman’s journey is reminiscent of Richard Gasquet’s at the same time four years ago. A situation almost identical to that of the Frenchman in 2010. We remember that he began his return to prominence by achieving the Bordeaux/Nice double. Let’s hope it’s the same for Monfils.
In an interview with our colleagues at Nice-Matin, tournament organizers Jean-Francois Caujolle and Pierre Albuxech did not hide their preference: “If Gaël wins, it will have more impact” before adding “he is still one of the most charismatic players in the world.”
Only one more step to go …
