Are we witnessing the fall of Gael Monfils? And by that I mean the recent improvement in his play, coinciding with the autumn season.
Last week, Monfils navigated through a surprisingly strong field to win the Open Sud de France in Montpellier. He beat John Isner in the quarters, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semis and Ivan Ljubicic in the final, all in three sets. Those were great victories for Monfils, who at times can play as passively as a backboard. Le Monf sure knows how to rally, but sometimes he doesn't know how to win. In beating three offensively-skilled players, Monfils showed that his head's in the right place.
I guess it shouldn't have been too surprising, then, to see Monfils defeat Stan Wawrinka today in Valencia. Wawrinka played with authority at the U.S. Open, but against Monfils he seemed content to trade baseline balls until forced otherwise. This was just fine with the Frenchman, who feasted on Wawrinka's short shots with deeper and harder replies of his own. The final score was 6-2, 6-4, and it wasn't even that close. Monfils' next match—against Robin Soderling—should tell us even more about his current form.
Regardless of how that contest turns out, Monfils has more to look forward to this season. There's next week's Paris Masters, a hometown tournament that he should revel in, and then the Davis Cup final. With Tsonga injured and out for the season, it's Monfils who will lead Les Bleus. If he can help upset Serbia and bring home the Cup, this will be a fall he'll never forget.
—Ed McGrogan