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PARIS: Roger Federer will have an unexpected foe in the French Open
semifinals on Friday in the shape of unseeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.
In Wednesday’s remaining two quarterfinals,
top seed Federer started tentatively but eventually found top gear
to race away from Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
The 21-year-old Monfils became the first
Frenchman through to the last four since Sebastien Grosjean in 2001
when he put out the fifth seed David Ferrer of Spain 6-3, 3-6, 6-3,
6-1.
Federer and Monfils have met three times
previously and the Frenchman has yet to win a set, but the Swiss
maestro is wary of him.
“He’s French and he’s very fit at the
moment,” he said.
Friday’s other semifinal will oppose triple
defending champion Rafael Nadal of Spain and third seed Novak
Djokovic of Serbia. They both reached the last four on Tuesday.
Federer reached a record 16th straight Grand
Slam semifinal with another pounding of big-hitting Gonzalez.
Their match was scheduled out on the Suzanne
Lenglen No. 2 showcourt to allow home hope Monfils to top the
billing on the Centre Court, and the world No. 1 needed a full set
to get used to his new surroundings.
True to form, Gonzalez opened up with all guns
blazing, especially with his haymaker forehands, while Federer
seemed oddly hesitant to take the initiative.
But starting with the fourth game of the second
set which saw Gonzalez drop his serve to love, Federer won eight
games out of nine to cut the legs from under the South American
powerhouse.
The fourth set was a formality as Federer
stepped on the accelerator and moved to within one match of a third
straight French Open final against Spanish triple champion Nadal.
He needs the Paris claycourt title to complete
his sweep of all four Grand Slam tournaments having won a total of
12 at Wimbledon and the US and Australian Opens. Nadal has defeated
him in the last two finals.
“I have been in so many semis of a Grand Slam
in a row. It’s always a great pleasure being in the last four.
It’s really where it gets most interesting,” Federer said.
“This is usually where I hope to play my best
and especially here at the French which is the one which is supposed
to maybe be the toughest one for me.
“To make four in a row is a great
accomplishment, but this year I’m obviously aiming for the
title.”
Monfils’ run into the last four has taken
everyone by suprise.
A former world junior champion, he has found the
step up to the senior ranks a hard one to successfully achieve both
on the physical and mental fronts.
Ranked a lowly world No. 59, his form was so
poor in the run-up to the French Open that he was forced to play a
second-tier Challenger in Morocco.
Monfils had never got beyond the fourth round of
any Grand Slam before this year, but his win on Wednesday has now
ignited hopes of a homegrown men’s title, 25 years after Yannick
Noah’s emotional triumph.
Against Ferrer he opened impressively to take
the first set, but then appeared to be on his last legs as the
gritty Ferrer battled back to level the scores,
Unexpectedly it was the Spaniard who wilted in
the two following sets as the Parisian-born player joyfully marched
into his first Grand Slam semifinal.
Monfils will start as a huge underdog against
Federer, but he sounded a note of optimism after his win over Ferrer.
“I will be out for revenge,” he said.
“I’ve lost twice to him this year already but this time I will
be ready.”
-- AFP
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