Successful return for Gaël Monfils after a month away from competition. Indeed, the Frenchman had felt the need to preserve himself after his defeat in the third round of the Miami Masters 1000 at the end of March. It must be said that this first round of the Masters 1000 in Madrid offered him a recovery largely in his strings in the person of the young Spaniard Carlos Gimeno Valero (20 years old, 369th).
Harmless in service, where he stubbornly served in the middle of the square despite his 1.91m, Gimeno Valero took advantage of a certain nonchalance from Monfils in the first set to highlight his explosive forehand. But Monfils was never in danger in this match where he was able to make some final adjustments and work on his ground cover. Regular and superior in all areas, he regularly cracked his novice opponent. Rising in power throughout the match, Monfils folded the case in less than an hour (6-3, 6-0).
It is therefore Novak Djokovic who now stands in his way. Obviously, the French will have to show more than in this match where he did not always take the initiative. This will be his main challenge.