New York, 02 September (H.S.): Veteran French tennis star Gael Monfils celebrated his 40th birthday in style, producing a remarkable comeback victory on Tuesday to advance to the second round of the US Open. On a rain-interrupted day packed with thrilling contests, Flavio Cobolli and Taylor Fritz also secured victories to progress to the next round.

Monfils defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 2-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-0. With the victory, he kept his farewell Grand Slam campaign alive. After falling behind early, Monfils staged an impressive comeback and received loud applause from the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Monfils also became the oldest player to win a singles main-draw match at Flushing Meadows, equalling the achievement of Jimmy Connors, who also recorded a victory on his 40th birthday in 1992.

There was no birthday cake on the court, but after the match, the crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to Monfils.

Speaking after the match, Monfils said, “Playing on my 40th birthday was very special for me. You all made it incredible. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I also tried to put in a good performance.”

Cobolli Stages Stunning Comeback from Two Sets Down

Fifth-seeded Italian Flavio Cobolli produced a remarkable comeback against Argentina’s Francisco Comesana after falling two sets behind. Cobolli prevailed 3-6, 2-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in a marathon four-hour, 13-minute battle.

It was the first time in his career that Cobolli had won a match after losing the opening two sets. In the deciding set, he recovered after dropping an early break, then took a 5-4 lead before closing out the match. He sealed the victory with a superb forehand volley.

“Matches at Grand Slams are never over. You have to fight until the very last point,” Cobolli said.

Fritz Makes Progress with Powerful Serving

American Taylor Fritz defeated compatriot Darwin Blanch 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the second round. The 2024 runner-up fired 14 aces against the 18-year-old wildcard entrant.

Fritz will next face Italy’s Mattia Bellucci in the second round. He sealed the match with a serve that Blanch was unable to return.

Fritz, Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are carrying the hopes of ending the 23-year drought for an American men’s Grand Slam singles champion.

Fritz said that being one of the leading American players brings considerable expectations and that feeling pressure in such circumstances is natural. He also described Shelton’s recovery after a difficult start as a confidence-boosting development.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar