The first surprise of the men's team at the Australian Open was given by Emil Ruusuvuori, a 21-year-old Finn and 86th in the world who beat Gael Monfils, 10th favorite, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, 3-6 and 6 -3 in a battle that lasted three hours and 46 minutes. The Frenchman is going through a bad streak, since in the last Grand Slam, Roland Garros, he also went home in the first round. It is the second time it has happened in Melbourne, although it has been 14 years since the first (2006).
Ruusuvuori resisted 13 aces from Monfils, who added 46 winners, and stayed in the game despite making 67 unforced errors. The Finn achieved the final break in the fourth game of the fifth set and held on until obtaining a prestigious triumph that will allow him to face Pedro Martínez in the second round. Monfils later collapsed at the press conference: “You have to keep training and the result will come, it's the only way,” he said through tears.
???? Monfils, completely destroyed in the press room after being eliminated in the first round of the #AusOpen
– Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) February 8, 2021
Stan Wawrinka, the 17th seed and champion of the tournament in 2014, easily got rid of the Portuguese Pedro Sousa, whom he beat in three sets: 6-3, 6-2 and 6-4 in 1h: 36. The Swiss landed 35 winners and did not grant his rival a single break option. Hungarian Fucsovics will face on Wednesday. Milos Raonic (14th) did not get tangled up against the Argentine Federico Coria, who he swept 6-3, 6-3 and 6-2 in 95 minutes. Raonic added 17 direct aces, for a total of 51 winners with 85% of points won with first serves. The Canadian will face the Frenchman Corentin Moutet, who could with the Australian John Millman (6-4, 6-7 (4), 3-6, 6-2 and 6-3).
Thiem executes Kukushkin
Dominic Thiem, current champion of the US Open, did not walk with contemplations against the Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin, whom he beat 7-6 (2), 6-2 and 6-3 in 2h: 40. The Austrian only had to use himself thoroughly in the first set when his rival went 6-5 and served. But Dom recovered the break from disadvantage and won in the tiebreaker. In the second round he will see on Wednesday with the German Koepfer.
Zverev fixes it before Giron
Things seemed to go wrong for Alexander Zverev when Marcos Giron surprised him in the tiebreaker of the first set, but the German had dominated despite the fact that he missed that set and in the end he won 6-7 (8), 7-6 (5), 6-3 and 6-2, in a game in which it went from less to more. In fact, with 5-3 in the second set he served to win it, but conceded a break and had to resolve the ballot in another tie-break. It is the fifth time he has reached the second round in six participations, and in it will face Cressy.
Scwartzman, Dimitrov and Auger-Aliassime, go ahead
Diego Schwartzman (8th seed) beat Swede Elias Ymer with some difficulty, who surrendered 7-6 (3), 6-4, 2-6 and 6-2. The Argentine should have faced one of his compatriots in the second round, but Delbonis resigned from the tournament and the player who played back to replace him, Frenchman Alexandre Muller beat another Argentine, Juan Ignacio Londero, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 and 6-3. Grigor Dimitrov (18th) had fewer problems to pass in one of the matches of the day, the one who faced a Croatian figure in low hours, Marin Cilic, whom he won 6-4, 6-2 and 7-6 ( 5). The Bulgarian will now meet the Australian Bolt. Another seed, Felix Auger-Alliasime (20th) swept the German repechage Stebe (6-4, 6-2 and 6-4) and will meet the local Duckworth.
Shapovalov suffers to beat a fighter Sinner
In the last game of the day Denis Shapovalov and Jannik Sinner starred in a beautiful duel lasting almost four hours in which the Canadian won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 4-6 and 6-4. The Italian won the first set but the Canadian used his experience to win the next two. Far from wrinkling Sinner forced the fifth set but a break by Shapovalov in the first game would end up deciding the match for the Canadian, who in the second round will face Australian Bernard Tomic.
Schedule and results.