Monfils dealt Finals blow with Elias upset

Gael Monfils

Sportal, Thu, Oct 20, 2016

by Sportal

A shock defeat to Gastao Elias in the Stockholm Open has dented Gael Monfils' chances of featuring in the ATP World Tour Finals.

Gael Monfils' hopes of securing a place in the ATP World Tour Finals took a blow with a shock second-round defeat to Gastao Elias at the Stockholm Open.

Frenchman Monfils sits sixth in the rankings and was the top seed in Sweden, but a 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 loss on Thursday cost him the opportunity to cement a spot at next month's tournament at the O2 Arena in London.

Elias staved off three break points in game four and the deadlock continued until a first-set tie-break, when the Portuguese raced into a 4-0 lead.

Despite dropping his serve twice the world number 61 held serve to take the first set, and he quickly moved two breaks up in the second.

Monfils denied Elias on two match points, but the 25-year-old booked his place in the quarter-finals at the next attempt and will face Jack Sock after he dumped out Dustin Brown in three sets.

Elias marked his victory by replicating the celebration of Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo. . . .


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