MONFILS REIGNS, MURRAY STILL IN PROGRESS ON DAY OF FIVE-SETTERS AT FRENCH OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 31st May 2014

French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros

MONFILS REIGNS, MURRAY STILL IN PROGRESS ON DAY OF FIVE-SETTERS AT FRENCH OPEN BY RICKY DIMON

epa04234334 Andy Murray of Britain in action against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany in their third round match during the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris, France, 31 May 2014. EPA/YOAN VALAT |

Encore! Encore!

Gael Monfils and Fabio Fognini delivered again at the French Open, producing a match that was short on quality at times but off the charts in drama. When it was all said and done, Monfils survived a back-and-forth third-round tussle with a 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 victory.

Four years earlier in a second-round Roland Garros showdown, Monfils and Fognini had seen their match suspended due to darkness late in the fifth set before the Italian came back out and silenced the crowd by finishing off a 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 9-7 win.

The French crowd–and its beloved Monfils–got revenge this time around.

“The crowd is always the difference,” said the world No. 28. “Today it was again amazing. I think it is never easy to drop a (fourth) set. Trying to come back for the fifth is never easy, and definitely the crowd helped me a lot.”

Speaking of coming back in front of an enthralled crowd, Andy Murray and Philipp Kohlschreiber will resume a five-setter of their own on Sunday. Murray led by two sets to one and 4-2 in the fourth but could not seal the deal. Kohlschreiber forced a decider and it currently stands on level terms at 7-7 in the fifth.

In a wide open section of the draw, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Donald Young played like men who knew they had an incredible opportunity in front of them. A high-quality thriller that lasted three hours and 47 minutes saw Garcia-Lopez ultimately prevail 6-2, 6-4, 2-6, 6-7(4), 6-4.

The Spaniard will face Gael Monfils for a spot in the quarterfinals. The winner of Murray vs. Kohlschreiber will go up against either Richard Gasquet or Fernando Verdasco. That match was also suspended, with Verdasco leading two sets to love.

Topics: Andy Murray, Fernando Verdasco, French Open, Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet, Ricky Dimon, Roland Garros, Tennis, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

May 31, 2014 at 4:37 pm

MONFILS REIGNS, MURRAY STILL IN PROGRESS ON DAY OF FIVE-SETTERS AT FRENCH OPEN BY RICKY DIMON (@RD_Tennistalk) – http://t.co/Wf3g9vUAlR
RD_Tennistalk says:

May 31, 2014 at 4:51 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: MONFILS REIGNS, MURRAY STILL IN PROGRESS ON DAY OF FIVE-SETTERS AT FRENCH OPEN BY RICKY DIMON (@RD_Tennistalk) – http://…