Miami, March 20 (IANS) Gael Monfils made history at the Miami Open as he became the second-oldest man to win a match at the ATP Masters 1000 event after Jimmy Connors.
ATP No. 1 Club member Connors is the oldest man to win a match in Miami, having done so at 39 in 1992.
The 38-year-old Frenchman overcame last year’s quarterfinalist Fabian Marozsan 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to reach the second round in Florida after one hour and 44 minutes, ATP reports.
Monfils struck 38 winners and committed 18 unforced errors to clinch victory and set up a meeting with Jiri Lehecka.
“I hit some different angles and showed I could run and anticipate. I made it hard [for him]. I hit with a bit more depth in my shots and did not let him dictate and I think I did well,” Monfils said.
Earlier, Alexander Bublik clinched his maiden tour-level win on outdoor courts in 2025. The 27-year-old overcame Sebastian Baez 6-3, 6-4 to record his first victory in Miami since 2022.
Bublik, who advanced to the quarter-finals in Florida in 2021 will next meet Tommy Paul.
David Goffin eliminated Aleksandar Vukic 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 to set a second-round clash with second seed Carlos Alcaraz. The 34-year-old Belgian is a former semi-finalist (2016) at the ATP Masters 1000.
Rinky Hijikata defeated Hamad Medjedovic 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 and will next take on Novak Djokovic. Australian qualifier Tristan Schoolkate cruised past American Ethan Quinn 6-0, 6-2 and will play Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round.
Italian Federico Cina won his first tour-level match at the Miami Open, where he defeated Argentine Francisco Comesana 7-6(4), 7-6(2).
The 17-year-old dug deep in the second set, battling through the tie-break after initially squandering a 5-2 lead in the set and a match point on return at 5-3. The wild card raised his arms aloft after sealing victory and he will next play Grigor Dimitrov, according to ATP.
–IANS
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