Gael Monfils v Novak Djokovic
Tennis: US Open Quarter Final
Wednesday 8 September 2010

This game is live on TV

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Preview

This could be one of the battles of the Quarter Finals as the styles of the two players makes this an intriguing contest. Gael Monfils is more of an athlete than a tennis player, and races round the court in no time, while Djokovic is the consistent hitter from the baseline.

Gael Monfils has really failed to live up to the expectation that was placed on him when he was the World Junior Number 1 (ahead of Andy Murray) and when he won 3 of the 4 Majors at that level in a calender year. Unfortunately, he has failed to really make a true impact at Grand Slam level on a consistent basis and his game can infuriate his supporters as he is also considered to be 'too passive' in his matches.

The Frenchman has a decent record on hard courts, and is 31-15 over the last 2 seasons. Much of his success on the surface came in the early part of the year with 2 Semi Final appearances in Brisbane and Johannesburg, but it is his failure to progress in Grand Slams that have left him at Number 19 in the World Rankings. This is the furthest he has reached in a Grand Slam event since Paris is 2008.

Monfils had to work hard in the 1st round here, coming back from 2-1 down in sets to beat Robert Kendrick. However, he has looked good in his last 3 rounds here, especially against Richard Gasquet in the last round.

Novak Djokovic seems to be the forgotten man in the Men's section, and even though he is World Number 3, he is often overlooked as a potential contendor at these Majors. Unlike Andy Murray, Djokovic already has a Major to his name, but there has been a feeling that the Serb has not progressed from that win in Australia in 2008 as much as people would have liked.

Djokovic remains incredibly consistent, even if he has not added to his Grand Slam total. He truly enjoys playing on the hard courts, and is 58-14 over the last 2 seasons. Surprisingly he has only 1 ATP title to his name this season, and he has reached the Quarter Final in 2 Grand Slam events while reaching the Semi Final in the other at Wimbledon.

After struggling in the heat in the 5 set win over Victor Troicki in the 1st round, something that has occured far too often in his career, Djokovic has had some impressive performances in his next 3 rounds, none more so than the easy 3 set win over an in form Mardy Fish in the 4th Round.

Head to Head

The 2 players have met 4 times, and it is Djokovic that leads 4-0 in the series. This hides how close matches have been between the 2 players, with 3 of the 4 going the distance, including here at Flushing Meadows in 2005.

Prediction

They say styles make fights in the boxing ring, and the same can be said to be true of tennis matches. Monfils is perfectly suited to playing Djokovic and will always push him in matches between the 2.

This should be another fabulous Quarter Final and could come down to fitness. Djokovic has been known to wilt in the heat, while Monfils is one of these players that will force him to hit a lot of tennis balls to win points.

I am not sure if Gael Monfils is ready to make the next step in his career and win a match of this magnitude, but I do think it will be close. I will pick Novak Djokovic to come through in a tough 4 set battle.

The Pick :

Novak Djokovic win 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4

FIXED ODDS BETTING :

Novak Djokovic to win 3-1 in sets