Melbourne (AFP)

Gaël Monfils (10th in the world), the last French competing at the Australian Open, qualified on Saturday for the round of 16 by eliminating the Latvian Ernests Gulbis (256th) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 , 6-3.

In the next round, the Parisian who had not reached the 8th in Melbourne since 2017, will face the Austrian Dominic Thiem (5th) whom he has never beaten in 5 games, the last going back to the 8th finals at Roland- Garros last year.

"I'm very happy with the way I played" on Saturday against the former world N.10, said the 33-year-old Frenchman.

"I was very solid, I was physically good, I was able to put a little more physical intensity at the end of the sets to win, commented Monfils. I had a fairly clear tactical plan. I managed to do not deviate too much and put it in place properly. "

However, he temporarily changed his plan at the start of the game when Gulbis, who used to "hit very hard", this time decided not to give rhythm to the exchanges.

"I accepted the exchanges, I said to myself + well, we're going to play for a long time, no problem! + In the end, he paid for it: he was less well physically and I managed to hold out", explained Monfils.

The next round promises to be much more complicated against Thiem than he has ever beaten.

"He is a player who poses me a lot of problems, agreed La Monf. Generally, tactically he has me well, and physically he always opposes me a fight which I find it difficult to hold because, precisely, of his tactics. It's up to me to hinder him, to put him in more uncomfortable positions. "

- "Take the chance" -

"Generally, in the rally, he's the one who has the most control. It's up to me to try to be a bit more aggressive. But not too much: the last time, I wanted to be much too aggressive and I makes a lot of mistakes. It’s up to me to search, but we must not forget that he is stronger than me! "

Be that as it may, Monfils has the stated objective, and assumed, the final victory.

"I train for, I try to do my best to try to seize the opportunity if it presents itself. There is no shame in not succeeding in achieving your dream, but we still have the right to say it: I dream, and I really want, I really have this conviction that one day, not too late anyway, I will manage to play my best tennis for two weeks and that I will manage to win a Grand Slam. "

His best Major results were a semi-final at Roland Garros in 2008 and another half at the US Open in 2016, the year he also reached quarters in Melbourne.

Last year, he was eliminated in the second round at the Australian Open and finished in a quarter-final at Flushing Meadows.

© 2020 AFP