Gael Monfils' incredible run of form rolled on as the veteran campaigner reached the fourth round of the Australian Open by beating Taylor Fritz. (More Tennis News)
Monfils headed to Melbourne Park on the back of becoming the oldest-ever pla▨yer to win a📖n ATP Tour title, when he triumphed in Auckland.
And the 38-year-old Fꦐrenchman claimed his place in the last 16 with a come-from-behind 3-6 7-5 7-6 (7-1) 💜6-4 victory over fourth seed Fritz in three hours and eight minutes.
In front of a jub♉ilant crowd at Margeret Court Arena, Monfils danced in celebration after serving out the win, following a remarkable recovery shot that had teed up match point when Fritz misjudged the෴ bounce and slammed a poor effort into the net.
"Taylor started strong, serving well, but I felt like I could move great today,"🎀ꦛ said Monfils, who won the junior title in Melbourne 21 years ago.
";The planꦿ was to hold the baseline, use my tempo, hold my shape with the foreܫhand, slice with the backhand. I think I did the job."
Nextꩵ on the court after Monfils on Saturday was to be his wife, Elina Svitolina, going up against women's fourth seed Jasmine Paolini.
"I warmed up the court for her,🐻" Monfils qui🍎pped.
Data Debrief: Age is just a number
Monfils is the oldest player to defeat a top-five-ranked opponent at the Aust🃏ralian Open since the ATP rankings were first published.
He is also the second-oldest man to reach the las🍌t 16 at the grand slam, after Ro𝓰ger Federer, since the event moved to Melbourne Park in 1988.
In the form of Monfils and Novak Djokovic, two men aged 37 or over have reach👍ed the last 16 of a major for the first time since the 1978 Australian Open, when Ken Rosewall and Bob Carmichael managed it.
Monfils also became the ꦬFrench player with the joint-most match wins at the Australian Open in the Open Era, on 37, level with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
