Has Gaël become a weed specialist?

Seeing the Frenchman at 1.42 on grass, even if it's "only Thiem" opposite, is that normal?

Normal I don't know but one thing is certain, Monfils doesn't like grass. He cannot move as well as on other surfaces and has often sold out matches because he does not feel comfortable there. He hasn't played on grass since 2021 and when we see how much he's playing in phases this season I really wonder if he's going to give us a big match full of motivation tomorrow. I remember seeing him not at all motivated during the first tournaments on earth, he had justified it by saying that the heavy earth was becoming complicated for him, that physically he was not as ready to push himself on every match. What can motivate him is to do the points more quickly, to have more free points on serve without having to work like a dog on each ball. I don't know if it will be enough because Thiem leads 6/0 in the confrontations, he has the weapons or at least he had the weapons to beat the Frenchman. He too is not a big fan of grass but he too could benefit from it at this stage of his career. He lost his power on the forehand, his slice hurts less. On grass everything can work a little better and I would say that motivation level is at its maximum. He loves this club, the conditions and he is reaching a point in his career where he plays every tournament without any pressure, he just wants to enjoy his last months on the circuit. Ultimately, this match promises to be much closer than the odds say!