Tennis French generations collide as Monfils edges Mpetshi Perricard

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Experience triumphed over potential as Gael Monfils beat 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 Australian Open 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 advanced to the second round on his 19th visit to Melbourne Park when his opponent sent a long return.

Monfils laughed, pointed a wagging finger at Australian Open debutant Mpetshi Perricard and punched his chest in the area around 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 winner’s contest 69-68.

The 21-year-old failed to muster a single break point during the contest but still came back from 2-0 down to send the match to a decisive fifth set.

The fourth-set tiebreak alone was worth the price of admission, with the pair exchanging tweenies on consecutive shots – the ever-athletic Monfils settling as he raced to the back of the court – before Mpetshi Perricard won the point.

Monfils, who last weekend in Auckland became the oldest player to win an ATP Tour title in the professional era, looked exhausted but a double fault from Mpetshi Perricard 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 raced up and over the service line.

Half an hour later, Monfils had advanced to the second round at Melbourne Park for the 17th time, extending his French record for most Grand Slam wins to 126.

(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, Editing by Peter Rutherford)