ATP Auckland 2025: Gael Monfils becomes oldest quarter-finalist with thrilling win over Jan-Lennard Struff

At 38 years of age, tennis star Gael Monfils showcased his relentless spirit by clawing back from the brink to win the first round of the ongoing ASB Classic in Auckland. The star player toppled Pedro Martinez in a thrilling encounter of the showpiece event. On the flip side, locals Marcus Daniell and James Watt faced disappointment as they were ousted in a closely contested three-set game.

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At 38 years of age, Monfils is the greatest showman in the game. It seems the greatest ever in the history of the game. Monfils can do it all, as he has showcased over the last few days in Auckland. The star player was at his captivating best in the second round on January 8th after registering a magnificent win over Jan-Lennard Struff in the process of becoming the first-ever quarterfinalist here since 1969.

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Age? How about ageless 😜@Gael_Monfils becomes the oldest @ASB_Classic quarter-finalist since 1970 with a 6-1 7-6 victory over Struff at #ASBClassic25 pic.twitter.com/3hXLhhZYzq

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) January 8, 2025

Speaking about the game here, there was the shoulder-high forehand down the line, off-balance. There was the backhand cross-court winner at the impossible angle from meters behind the baseline in the showpiece event. However, there was squash style to reflex and return to defend, successfully, a blooming overhead and the feathered shot that bisected the baseline of the game. However, later he himself revealed that he had struggled physically after the game's battle.

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Does Monfils surprise himself sometimes?

“I surprise myself [just] to play—to be honest with you,” laughed Monfils. “Some days, when I wake up, it’s quite hard, and you need a long session with my physio, a longer warm-up. [So] then to be able to run and hit some great shots like this [on Wednesday], sometimes I surprise myself that I could back it up, but sports is full of surprises, and I take it. [My] team is happy because this morning I was a little bit sore, a little back issue. [On Wednesday] I felt like I moved great; I served well; it’s so good, so we keep going.”

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