Can he?

Monfils has to give us one last show in New York. But we shouldn’t forget it’s a long format and it’s humid. I still want to believe in the guy’s craziness. But I tend to see players who are close to retirement in too positive a light. Especially since Vallejo right now is really good. He’s got the aggressive tennis you need so you don’t get lulled to sleep by Gael, who uses his racket like a harp. And then, maybe he’s got a little payback in mind after his loss to Kouamé at Roland Garros ;). I feel like he’s so scrappy that I tell myself that could serve as motivation.

As usual, on Gael’s side, he could get through it by being crafty and managing his match. Without falling into the trap of his own magic, I think he can really give the Paraguayan a hard time, pull off a few huge points, and end up capitulating. That would be the most likely scenario for me...