38-Year-Old Gael Monfils secures Auckland ATP crown
Gael Monfils defeated Zizou Bergs 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the Auckland ATP 250 on Saturday, becoming the oldest man to win an ATP title since Ken Rosewall in 1977.
The 38-year-old Frenchman was in charge throughout against Bergs, who made his way through qualifying earlier in the week to appear in a career-first ATP-level final.
The trophy is Monfils’ 13th of his career, having first won a title back in Sopot in 2005.
“It means a lot to win,” Monfils said immediately after the match.
“Age is a number.
“But we keep working. I keep believing that I can play high-quality tennis and I have been showing it this week so I am very happy.
“My first title was 20 years ago.
“I still have the passion to play tennis.
“I feel I [can] still strike the ball very well.
“Hopefully, many more to come.”
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The former world No.6 served powerfully over the course of the one-hour, 37-minute match, dropping just four points on his first serve and dishing up four aces.
Bergs, meanwhile, was error-prone, spraying the ball wide regularly and winning just 45% of second-serve points
Monfils will need all the free points he can get as he heads to Melbourne to take on compatriot Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the opening round of the Australian Open.
Tennis betting sites have the veteran as a slight underdog ahead of their match on Tuesday, with Monfils paying $2.10 at Bet365 and Mpetshi Perricard on $1.72.
Top bookmakers have Monfils at long odds to claim his first Grand Slam this January, returning $301 for him to win the title.
Mpetshi Perricard, meanwhile, is given a strong chance, paying $67 at bookmaker BetOnline – the ninth line of betting.