MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Experience triumphed over potential as Gael Monfils edged Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard 7-6(7) 6-3 6-7(6) 7-6(5) 6-4 in an all-French thriller in the first round of the Australian Open on Tuesday.
A packed house on Court Three was treated to three hours and 46 minutes of big serves and winners before 38-year-old Monfils progressed to the second round on his 19th visit to Melbourne Park when his opponent sent a return long.
Monfils grinned, pointed a wagging finger at Australian Open debutant Mpetshi Perricard and slapped his chest in the region of his heart before the compatriots embraced warmly at the net.
Big-serving Mpetshi Perricard, who was 18-months-old when Monfils made his own Australian Open debut in 2005, played a full part in the contest, winning the ace count 19-18 and the winners contest 69-68.
The 21-year-old failed to muster up a single break point over the contest but still rallied from 2-0 down to send the match to a deciding fifth set.
The fourth set tiebreak alone was worth the price of admission with the pair exchanging tweenies on successive shots — the always athletic Monfils nailing his while running to the back of the court — before Mpetshi Perricard won the point.
Monfils, who last weekend in Auckland become the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title in the professional era, looked exhausted but back-to-back Mpetshi Perricard double faults gave him a break point in the first game of the decider.
The former world number six converted it when Mpetshi Perricard hit a forehand into the net and the ball looped up and over the service line.
Half an hour later and Monfils had advanced to the second round at Melbourne Park for the 17th time and extended his French record for most Grand Slam wins to 126.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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