French generations collide as Monfils edges Mpetshi Perricard

MELBOURNE: Experience triumphed over potential as Gael Monfils edged Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(7), 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4 in an all-French thriller in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.

A packed house on Court Three was treated to three hours and 46 minutes of big serves and winners before 38-year-old Monfils progressed to the second round on his 19th visit to Melbourne Park.

Monfils grinned, pointed a wagging finger at Australian Open debutant Mpetshi Perricard and slapped his chest in the region of his heart before the compatriots embraced warmly at the net.

Big-serving Mpetshi Perricard, who was 18 months old when Monfils made his own Australian Open debut in 2005, played a full part in the contest, winning the ace count 19-18.

Monfils said the 21-year-old, who he had never faced before, already had a serve that would rank among the biggest tennis has seen.

“Now he is in the category of Reilly (Opelka), John (Isner), Ivo (Karlovic), Milos (Raonic),” he said.

“Of course it’s a bullet, his first serve, but where for me he stands out… is because his second serve is crazy good.

“His second serve is the best, because of the way he hits it, the accuracy, the power that he puts (on it). I think he is the first guy on tour who hits a second serve as big.”

While Mpetshi Perricard rallied from 2-0 down to send the match to a deciding fifth set, he failed to muster up a single break point over the contest.

That, Monfils said, was the key to beating big servers.

“I feel like some people make a mistake here,” he said.

“When you play a guy like Giovanni, John, Reilly, the main focus is your serve and the main focus of your serve is to try not to face a break point.”

There was plenty of shot-making too in Tuesday’s contest and the fourth set tiebreak alone was worth the price of admission with the pair exchanging tweenies on successive shots, the always athletic Monfils nailing his while running to the back of the court.

Monfils, who last weekend in Auckland become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title in the professional era, looked exhausted but back-to-back Mpetshi Perricard double faults gave him a break point in the first game of the decider.

The former world number six converted it when Mpetshi Perricard hit a forehand into the net cord and the ball looped up and over the service line.

Half an hour later and Monfils had advanced to the second round at Melbourne Park for the 17th time and extended his French record for most Grand Slam wins to 126.

“I don’t really look at my age. It is just a number,” he said.

“I try to avoid thinking about it, but I can tell you that tomorrow morning I will be (feeling) more 48 than 38.”