Will there be some "Monfils Magic"?

It's been a long time since we last saw Gael play...

Yes, it was all the way back in Roland Garros... and it looked grim at the start, like he was going to take a quick 3-0 beating! However, he managed to win sets three and four to make it a bit more entertaining in the end. Most of the updates I have seen from him since then have been from the golf course, which perhaps puts some question marks about what level he will turn up for this event? If we want to look at it a bit more positively, we also know that he has just about infinite experience with these events and on hardcourts. We have seen him turn up and play decent matches after long layoffs before.

I do think the matchup is not that great for him. Majchrzak is a good returner who can also take the ball early... and if Monfils is not getting enough free points on serve, this could be quite challenging - it's hard to imagine he will be bossing the baseline rallies. Besides that, Majchrzak has a great backhand, so it's hard for him to pick on that wing as well. While the Pole can become agitated and lose his focus, he is someone who has a good rally tolerance and a high base level that he tends to maintain. Honestly, it almost feels like Monfils' best chance is that the Pole gets frustrated in some way, either by missed chances or perhaps the crowd...