Match Details
Fixture: (8) Andrey Rublev vs Gael Monfils
Tournament: US Open 2023
Date: Thursday, August 31
Round: Second Round (Round of 64)
Venue: New York, USA
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Hardcourt
Prize money: $65,000,000
Live telecast:- USA: ESPN | UK: Sky Sports | Australia: Nine Network | Canada: TSN | India & South Asia: Sony Sports Network
Andrey Rublev vs Gael Monfils preview
Eighth seed Andrey Rublev takes on unseeded French veteran Gael Monfils in a blockbuster US Open second-round matchup.
World No. 8 Rublev brought up his first win of the North American hardcourt swing - beating Arthur Cazaux - after opening-round defeats at the Canadian Open and Cincinnati.
However, Rublev meant business against his young French opponent in New York. In a surprisingly tough outing, the Russian took the opener for the loss of four games.
Cazaux offered more resistance in the second - winning six games - but it was Rublev who raised his level in the tiebreak to take a commanding two-set lead. The third set was all Rublev - who dropped just one game - to improve to 41-17 on the season. The two-time titlist in 2023 is now 18-7 at Flushing Meadows, where he reached his third quarterfinal last year (lost to Frances Tiafoe).
Meanwhile, the 182nd-ranked Monfils - on the comeback trail after a long injury layoff - got past Taro Daniel in four sets. The Japanese took the first set 6-4, but Monfils fought back, producing a 6-4 set of his own to restore parity.
Monfils took the third set for the loss of two games before needing a fourth-set tiebreak to see off his opponent. The 36-year-old is now 9-8 on the season, continuing a good North American summer, going 7-3, including reaching the Canadian Open quarterfinals.
After losing his first five matches of the season - across tours - Monfils has found form at the right time, improving to 32-14 at Flushing Meadows, where he reached the last four in 2016.
Andrey Rublev vs Gael Monfils head-to-head
The two players have split their two previous meetings, with Rublev winning their last clash in the Cincinnati third round in 2021 in two tiebreaks.
Andrey Rublev vs Gael Monfils odds
(The odds will be updated when they release).
Andrey Rublev vs Gael Monfils prediction
Both Rublev and Monfils like to dominate opponents from the back of the court and have similar game styles: big serve, powerful hitting and good movement, especially Monfils, who's renowned for his elite athleticism.
Although Monfils is the more experienced of the two, Rublev takes the edge with his superior consistency if not pedigree. Rublev is 53-23 in Majors, while Monfils is 120-58.
Rublev had a solid first-round outing - winning 82% of his first-serves - in a straight-set win. He has also had a better season than Monfils, who's looking to return to his groove.
This matchup could go either way, but expect Rublev to come through in a tight contest.
Pick: Rublev in four sets