(Indian Wells) Daniil Medvedev, new world No.1 and among the big favorites of the Indian Wells Masters 1000, was eliminated in the third round of the Californian tournament, overthrown 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 by the French Gaël Monfils (seeded N.26) on Monday.
Posted at 4:24 p.m.
Updated at 4:42 p.m.
The Russian, who took his place at the top of the world hierarchy, will lose it next Monday, in favor of the Serbian Novak Djokovic, absent from California, because not vaccinated against COVID-19 and in fact not authorized to go to the States -United.
Faced with Medvedev, to whom Indian Wells definitely does not succeed, since he has never spent the 8and in the final, Monfils bravely played his luck despite losing the first set, during which his opponent then seemed well settled in defense, returning almost all the balls.
But as the earth briefly shook at 3.1 on the Richter scale just outside Indian Wells, another mild quake was brewing in the tournament.
Because the Parisian increased in intensity in the second set, while changing pace with climbs on the fly, drop shots and even underhand serves, the second pushing the Russian to the fault, to equalize at one set everywhere. And the public, a fan of this purveyor of ” show time What is Monfils, to exult.
The spectators were not done with the spectacle, because after a visit to the toilets of the two players – longer for Medvedev (approximately six minutes) – Monfils continued to take the lead by always varying his shots, while his rival, guilty of yet another unforced error, which he is not used to, smashed his racket to the ground, receiving a warning.
The sequel saw Monfils never loosen the noose, playing fair and strong when necessary, to offer himself after 2:07 the second victory of his career over a world N.1 after that won in 2009 against Rafael Nadal .
He will face in 8and another Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz (N.19), who beat his compatriot Roberto Bautista (N.15) 6-2, 6-0.