At 40, in his final championship: Monfils provided another unforgettable moment
The veteran Frenchman celebrated his birthday with a 2:6, 6:1, 6:2, 6:0 win over Vallejo, becoming the oldest player to win a singles match in New York since Jimmy Connors. Coco Gauff started on the right foot, Rybakina eased concerns about her injury, and Bencic was unexpectedly eliminated.
The US Open provided one of its most exciting moments last night (between Tuesday and Wednesday) already in the first round. Gael Monfils, who celebrated his 40th birthday and is in his final season on the tour, recovered from a bad start and defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2:6, 6:1, 6:2, 6:0. The Frenchman, who reached a career-high of world number six, extended his farewell appearance at Flushing Meadows and will face American Learner Tien in the next round.
Monfils, one of the biggest crowd favorites of the last two decades, became the oldest player to win a singles match at the US Open since Jimmy Connors in 1992. Symbolically, Connors also achieved the feat on his 40th birthday. After losing the first set, the Frenchman took complete control of the match, losing only three games in the next three sets and captivating the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
Coco Gauff also successfully began her attempt to win the home tournament for the second time. The American, ranked fourth in the world, won 3:6, 4:6 against Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez in one hour and 20 minutes. Gauff, who arrived in New York after winning the Cincinnati tournament, showed significant improvement in her serve and saved three break points in a critical game in the second set. Besides the fight for a third Grand Slam title in her career, she still holds a chance to finish the tournament as world number one.
Elena Rybakina, who arrived at the tournament with question marks following a leg injury, eased concerns with a 3:6, 2:6 win over 17-year-old American Thea Frodin. Taylor Fritz won 3:6, 2:6, 4:6 against Darwin Blanch, while Flavio Cobolli came back from a two-set deficit to defeat Francisco Comesana 6:3, 6:2, 3:6, 4:6, 4:6 after a battle that lasted about four hours. The notable surprise in the women's draw was the elimination of 12th seed Belinda Bencic, who succumbed to Yulia Putintseva 4:6, 7:5, 6:3. Matches on the outdoor courts were disrupted by heavy rain, which caused a break of nearly four hours.
