Monfils Sets Up All-French Match-Up In Tokyo
Gael Monfils was not to be denied in his opening match at the Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships 2016 on Tuesday night, needing no more than one hour to dismiss Japan’s Yuichi Sugita 6-3, 6-1. Monfils continued his domination against Sugita, having downed the wild card player 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 at this year's Australian Open. Though known in his early days for his athleticism and defensive acumen, Monfils brought out his attacking game against the tenacious Sugita. He played close to the baseline and backed up his serve with penetrating groundstrokes. The 2010 finalist (l. to Nadal) dropped only nine points on serve and did not face a break point. “Since this year, I’ve been playing a lot more offensively,”...