Shevchenko advances in Chengdu after 'childhood hero' Monfils retires
Gael Monfils cut a dejected figure on Thursday after suffering a painful fall that forced him to retire from his opening match against Alexander Shevchenko at the Chengdu Open.
The 39-year-old Frenchman, who had taken the first set, rolled his ankle late in the second and grew visibly emotional once it became clear he could not continue. After Shevchenko leveled the contest, Monfils retired at 7-6(3), 3-6, 0-1.
“I loved every second of the match, and I really didn’t want to end it like this,” said Shevchenko, who helped Monfils up after he fell. “He’s my childhood hero, I enjoy watching him so much and I wish him a fast recovery. He’s incredible, there are so many people looking up to him.”
Monfils won his 13th ATP Tour title in Auckland in January and backed it up with a fourth-round run at the Australian. But the World No. 52 has now slipped to five consecutive defeats and owns an 18-15 record in 2025, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index.
Making his debut at the Chinese ATP 250 event, Shevchenko next plays big-serving Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, who did not face a break point across the second and third sets of his 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win over Filip Misolic.
Earlier, #NextGenATP star Dino Prizmic moved past Terence Atmane 6-4, 6-3 in the Frenchman’s first appearance since his breakthrough run to the Cincinnati semi-finals last month. The 20-year-old Prizmic, who is fourth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, is competing in Chengdu through the Next Gen Accelerator, which offers players aged 20 and under increased opportunity to compete on the ATP Tour.
Prizmic set a second-round meeting with top seed and last year’s runner-up Lorenzo Musetti, who is eighth in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin and aiming to strengthen his push for a Nitto ATP Finals qualification.
Other winners on Day 2 in Chengdu include eighth seed Lorenzo Sonego and qualifier Mackenzie McDonald, who both earned deciding-set victories. Sonego rallied past Juan Manuel Cerundolo 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, while McDonald held firm for a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp to improve to 2-1 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.
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