The Search for Form Continues
We have two players who are both eager to have a "bounce-back"...
It's safe to say that this has not been Shevchenko's year. I've probably mentioned it before, but he had a divorce at the end of last year, just a year after getting married to Potapova. Perhaps it's just a minor factor in his recent downfall, but it's worth mentioning... these things can linger mentally. Anyone who saw him at the USO could see what an absolute dismal performance that was against Fokina, having retired a week earlier with a thigh injury in a CH final. He has managed to play a match since, winning a straight-sets match against legend Hyeon Chung in the Davis Cup. Chung is nowhere near the player he used to be, but at least it's slightly reassuring that Shevchenko got a win under his belt. After a blazing fast start that lasted up until the clay season, Monfils has not really been able to find any resemblance of form since. He was not able to win a single match in the North American hardcourt swing, and while his five-setter against Safiullin was entertaining, it's also a match he normally would win - despite a pretty decent Safiullin!
Shevchenko did beat Monfils in 2023 in Phoenix, but that was when Monfils was just returning from injury, so I don't think there's much to take from that meeting. One of Shevchenko's biggest issues this year has been his lack of rally tolerance and willingness to really dig in, which, of course, is something that someone like Monfils can exploit! At the same time, I do think he's been getting better and better lately... his last three losses are injury-related, and before that, he lost to Bublik twice. Monfils seemed quite motivated in his post-match interview after losing to Safiullin, promising to return to work with "determination and drive" for the Asian Swing. It will mainly come down to which version of both players turns up. Despite his shaky results lately, Monfils tends to be more reliable in delivering a decent performance, whereas Shevchenko has a tendency to be more inconsistent.
