Three Frenchmen into Second Round
BNP Paribas Masters
Paris, France
November 1, 2004
Three Frenchmen into Second Round
French qualifier Gael Monfils, the No. 1 junior in
the world, rallied to beat 1996 Paris champion
and former Top 10 Thomas Enqvist 1-6, 6-4,
6-3, to win his ATP Masters Series match. Enqvist
stormed to a 5-0 lead in the first set but the
18-year-old Monfils got the key break of serve
in the second at 5-4, converting his third break
point to win the set. The players exchanged
breaks of serve at the start of the third but
Monfils captured the set with one extra break,
serving out at 40-love in front of a supportive
home crowd. Monfils is ranked a career-high
No. 284.
Another French qualifier, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga,
came back to beat No. 30 ranked Mario Ancic
4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3, and win his second career
ATP match. The 19-year-old Tsonga, who in
September defeated No. 6 Carlos Moya in
Beijing, is No. 179 in this week's INDESIT ATP
Entry Rankings. Tsonga fired 11 aces and saved
five of six break points in the two hour and two
minute match. In the third set, Tsonga broke
Ancic in the first and final games.
Paradorn Srichaphan never faced a break point
in his 7-6(3), 6-4 victory over Mariano Zabaleta
of Argentina. Srichaphan never faced break point
in the one hour and 21 minute match. He broke
Zabaleta for a 3-2 lead in the second set and
closed the match out with his seventh ace.
Wild card Cyril Saulnier needed one hour and
58 minutes to beat Luis Horna of Peru 7-6(6),
7-6(0). Saulnier never faced break point but he
couldn't convert on five break point chances.
Athens silver medalist Mardy Fish defeated Spaniard
David Ferrer 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, converting three of nine
break points in the one hour and 42 minute match.
At 3-2 up in the third set, Fish never looked back,
breaking Ferrer twice to close out the match.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Srichaphan: On playing Henman next: 浠ell, the
record is 5-1. I just beat him once in Madrid. But
actually good news, I just heard that from you,
too, that's great for him to qualify in Houston.
It's like everybody go to reaching the Masters the
end of the year. I'm sure it take a lot of pressure
out of him to try to do well here, to qualifying for
Houston. But Agassi and Nalbandian pull out, so
that's help him to get into the Masters. That's take
a lot of pressure off him. Maybe, you know, when
he play, might not thinking too much, might not
trying too hard, so I don't know (smiling).
On being the No. 1 Asian player: 浠ell, I always
say that I'm not just playing for Thailand, I
always saying that I'm, you know, Asian player,
so I play for all Asian people. It's great to
representing all the Asia because it's big part
of the world, and it's very nice to doing well
for Asia, because there's not too many players
from Asia, especially the male. You know, it's
nice to do well and still stay up here, and
hopefully looking for the next four or five years
that I, you know, can continue my career.팊
Saulnier: 浠ell, I had a bit of a letdown in the
beginning of the second set. I think the season
was a very long one. I was jet lagged. I played
many matches. I'm just coming over from
St. Petersburg. There's a two-hours time
difference. Sometimes it's difficult, but you just
have to face it. I knew it was going to be
physically tough. I knew he was going to
try to dominate me with his game.팊
On his future success: 洍 beat Coria in the
beginning of the year. I can sometimes
have success. Maybe personally I need
more time. Of course, my ranking
developed, and it's a bit late in my career
now. As I go on, I have more and more
experience. Maybe if I want to win a
Masters Series, I will have to be more
consistent, and I will also hope to have
good results in the Grand Slams and go
further than I did until now, like the
second round now. I want to go further.팊
Monfils: 涆he first set I didn't get into the
match. I think it was my mind that wasn't
right. I was panicking a little bit because of
me, because of the crowd, my performance. I
mean, it was not so good. I discovered things
today, but I'll discover many things in the
next match. There were many long rallies.
Most of the time I was able to play one rally
after the other without problems.팊
On playing Hewitt in the second round: 浠ell,
he hasn't played for three weeks. He arrived
in Paris last week and I played him when he
was cold. He was just coming off from the
plane. It was funny.
On his approach: 浠ell, yes, he has his game;
I have my game. As long as I know what I have
to do, it's okay. I can see it's possible. It's
going to be very difficult, I know that, but it's
possible."
Tsonga: On comparing pro level to juniors: "I
think the turning point was to become a man
after being just a simple boy because the world
of juniors is completely different. It has nothing
to do with this world. Here on the tour, you
have to fight to have a place, and it's difficult.
I just won a couple of good matches, and
suddenly it all came together. There was no
particular point or key to it."
"Yes, it's a great improvement because at that
level, mentally it's very important to be okay.
He serves very well. He has a very good game.
It's difficult to destabilize him, so you have to
think it over several times. It took me about
two sets to figure out what to do. Sometimes
it's after two games that I know, but this time
it was more difficult."
TUESDAY PREVIEW
There are six remaining first round matches
and five second round matches on Tuesday's
schedule, highlighted by No. 2 seed Lleyton
Hewitt, who takes on French qualifier Gael
Monfils, the No. 1 junior in the world. Following
that match, No. 3 and defending champion
Tim Henman takes on Asian No. 1 Paradorn
Srichaphan.
Hewitt, a finalist in Paris two years ago (l. to
Safin), has yet to lose an opening round match
in 17 tournaments this season, the only Top
10 player to accomplish that feat. Hewitt, who
is 3rd in the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race, has won
four ATP titles and owns a 63-15 match record.
Monfils improved his career ATP match record
to 3-1 with his three-set win over former Top
10 Thomas Enqvist on Monday. Monfils reached
the quarterfinals in Metz two weeks ago in his
ATP debut.
In the second match of the evening session,
Henman takes a 5-1 lifetime record against
Srichaphan. The British No. 1 won the last
meeting in the quarterfinals of Washington
last year but Srichaphan won in Masters Series
Madrid two years ago prior to that.
Opening up the day session on Centre Court
is Spaniard Feliciano Lopez against Rainer
Schuettler. Lopez has a 4-1 career record
although they have split their two meetings
this year.
The second match of the day features Frenchman
Michael Llodra against Czech qualifier Radek
Stepanek. Llodra is 41st in the INDESIT ATP
2004 Race with a 20-11 match record. He won
his first career ATP title in 's-Hertogenbosch
in June, defeating Roland Garros finalist Guillermo
Coria.
In the third match, Frenchman Arnaud Clement
looks to even his career record (2-3) against Ivan
Ljubicic although the Croat has won the last
three meetings this year. They met in the first
round of Lyon three weeks ago and Ljubicic
prevailed 6-4, 7-6(1). Clement won in February
in a first round Davis Cup match in France
In the final afternoon match, Tommy Haas takes
a 5-2 lifetime record against Belgian Xavier
Malisse. Haas is the leading candidate for ATP
Comeback Player of the Year after missing all of
last season with a right shoulder injury. Haas is
16th in the INDESIT ATP 2004 Race with two ATP
titles and a quarterfinal showing at the US Open.
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-----------------------------one way in and no way out--------------------
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