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Match Details
Fixture: (4) Taylor Fritz vs Gael Monfils
Date: January 18, 2025
Tournament: Australian Open 2025
Round: Third Round (Round of 32)
Venue: Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hard (outdoor)
Prize Money: A$96,500,000
Live Telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, ESPN | UK - Eurosport | Canada - TSN, RDS
Taylor Fritz vs Gael Monfils preview
World No. 4 Taylor Fritz will face Gael Monfils in the third round of the Australian Open 2025.
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Fritz beat Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3 to reach the second round, where qualifier Cristian Garin awaited him. The American got better and better with each set, and dropped only three games in the entire match to register a commanding 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 win.
Monfils survived a five-set thriller in the first round against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard to book his spot in the second round, where he took on Daniel Altmaier. The Frenchman took the early lead in the opening set to go 3-1 up, and then dropped the next four games to fall behind 5-3.
The momentum swung in Monfils favor once again after that, who swept the next four games to take the set. He needed only one break of serve in his favor to claim the second set. Altmaier rallied from a break down in the third set and eventually forced a tie-break, in which the veteran Frenchman came out on top to secure a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (3) win.
Taylor Fritz vs Gael Monfils head-to-head
Fritz leads Monfils 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the Australian Open 2019 in four sets.
Taylor Fritz vs Gael Monfils odds
(Odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Taylor Fritz vs Gael Monfils prediction
Fritz has been in dangerous form at the Australian Open and has dropped a total of eight games across his first two rounds. He won 80 per cent of points on the back of his first serve in the previous round and struck 24 winners against 20 unforced errors. He didn't face a single break point throughout the match.
Monfils has rolled back the years with his performances this year. He won the title in Auckland and now has extended his winning streak to seven matches with his second-round win over Altmaier. He won 82 per cent of first-serve points in the last round and hit 37 winners in contrast to 26 unforced errors.
With two in-form players set to collide, this guarantees to be a fight to the finish. Monfils' athleticism remains sharp even at the age of 38 years. While his serve isn't as strong compared to Fritz, he can certainly go toe-to-toe with the American in other aspects.
Fritz has reached at least the fourth round of the last five Majors, while Monfils hasn't reached that stage since his quarterfinal run in Melbourne three years ago. The American needed four competitive sets to beat his older rival when they crossed paths here six years ago. He's likely to be challenged in the same manner once again, and the final outcome is likely to be the same as well.
Pick: Taylor Fritz to win in four sets.
