Gael Monfils caught a late break to stay in touch at the Monte Carlo Masters on Sunday, with the retiring French icon moving into the second round  as he beat Tallon Griekspoor in a 6-7 (7), 6-1, 6-4 fightback victory.

The popular French shotmaker and showman spent two and a quarter hours in earning his win as he played the event for the last time after making his first appearance 21 years ago as a wild card in the principality.

Monfils,39, who will retire at the end of this season, bounced back strong after dropping the opening set against the Dutchman who withdrew a month ago with injury from the Dubai Championships as attacks in the Middle East kicked off only hours before the start of pay. 

Monfils, with the French public supporting, stormed back into contention in the first round meeting,  sweeping the second set and coming good on his third match point in the deciding set to advance.”I was indeed a little tense at the beginning,” Monfils said. “He lost his rhythm on serve, which allowed me to get back into the match (after losing the opening set).

.”He would string together a point, an error, a point, an error, so it was difficult to adjust.

“But I managed to find my rhythm and control what I wanted to do. And in the end, I was able to serve better, which helped me a lot.”

Monfils, a longtime fan favourite, added: “”The first match on clay is never easy, I had to find the balance of emotions. I know this is my last year and it’s not easy.

“But in the end I found my game. (My career) has been a long fide, but here I am – I’m here and I won a match.

“It’s not easy to control the emotions, I love to play with emotion, I love the crowds – it is a joy for me to play.”

Monfils next faces Alexander Bublik for a place in the third  round. The French winner becomes the second-oldest man to win a Masters 1000 title after his 145th career victory in the elite series. .

Daniil Medvedev handed Carlos Alcaraz his first loss of the season to book a second straight final at the Indian Wells Masters.

The winner of the Dubai event a fortnight ago in a walkover, played it out to reach the Californian title match where he will face Jannik Sinner after defeating Alcaraz 6-3, 7-6 (3).

Sinner, who will play his first final at the desert venue, easily accounted for Alexander Zverev 6-2, 6-4.

World No. 1 Alcaraz was unable to extend his 16-match win streak as Medvedev took revenge for his finals loss here two years ago against the Spaniard.

“It’s an amazing feeling to beat someone like Carlos, No. 1 in the world. In a way, when you play him,” Medvedev said.

“It’s just a great feeling to play them (top players). and to beat them, of
course, is even better.

“So super happy with my level today and looking forward to tomorrow, of course.”

He added: “Playing someone like Carlos, you play many times, you lose many times. He’s an amazing player with amazing shots, defence, attack, return, everything. So, you need to be at your best.”

Medvedev came back from a break down in the second set and saved four of five break points. close out the straight-sets victory in one hour and 37 minutes and claim revenge against the Spaniard, who had beaten him in the Indian Wells final in 2023 and 2024.

“I was hanging in, in the second set, as I could,” Medvedev said. “But [I am] playing great tennis, super happy to beat someone as strong as him.”

Alcaraz dominated on winner, striking 24 to the 15 of Medvedev but also committed 30 unforced errors in defeat.

The 30-year-old stands 7-8 against Sinner going into the Sunday final.

Medvedev will be playing his third final of 2026 after winning Brisbane and Dubai, where he advanced as Tallon Griekspoor withdrew injured before that final.

Neither Medvedev not Sinner have dropped a set over the last 10 days at Indian Wells

“If I manage to maintain the level I had throughout the tournament and maybe even raise it, I will have my chances,” Medvedev added..

Sinner finally got over the semi-final hump here after losing twice at this stage as he dominated Zverev  

“”The first time here in the final, it means a lot to me. It’s the third time that I’ve played the semis here, so I’m very happy about that,” world NO. 2 Sinner said.

“Of course, the next one will be a very tough test, but I’m extremely happy. We have improved this week, this tournament, and that for me was the most important part.

“It was a great performance from my side. Sascha didn’t play very well today. I  broke him a couple of times in the first set, which gave me confidence to continue, and I served very well at important moments. I’m very happy.”

Main photo:- Danill Medvedev celebrates – ATPTour.com

Daniil Medvedev on Saturday managed a surprisingly comfortable 6-4, 6-2 win over Alejandro Tabilo at the Indian Wells Masters only a few days after successfully arriving from Dubai.

The winner by default of the Gulf event last Saturday in a walkover against injured Tallon Griekspoor revealed the stressful departure organised by the ATP for players and support staff stuck in at the event when the US bombed Iran and the blowback reached the rich emirate.

“At one moment we were texting a lot with Andrey (Rublev) and Karen (Khachanov). So me and Andrey decided let’s go to Oman, let’s try to find something there.

“It was not easy to find, because everyone was trying to leave, and there were not a lot of slots to leave or planes to leave. But we managed find a plane.

“So Karen joined us, and the next day we managed to fly to Istanbul, and then Istanbul to Los Angeles. It was just longer and a bit more stressful in terms of logistics than usual.”

The player, travelling with his wife with the children back home in Monaco, said he was feeling after effects of the stressful journey to LA and then the Californian desert

“If it was not for the tennis I would have stayed in Dubai, I felt quite safe there.

:”It was how do we get to Indian Wells; we managed to do it.”