In the first round at the Rio Olympics, Gael Monfils defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and five minutes to advance to the second round. The Frenchman will go up against either the home player Rogerio Dutra Silva or Thmoas Fabbiano in the second round.
Quick start from Monfils as he grabs the opening set
In the opening game of the match, Monfils got off to the perfect start. The Frenchman reached break point at 30-40 but Pospisil saved the point. However, the Frenchman would get another chance to break, which we he would complete following a double fault fom the Canadien. In the next game, he consolidated the break to love for 2-0. Pospisil had game point to get on the board, but the 29-year-old erased the point and then gained a second break point after running down a shot at the net by his opponent. Pospisil then hit a forehand winner and brought the game to deuce saving the break point.
The sixth seed would get a second chance to break the Canadian's serve but missed the chance to go further ahead after a well-executed point by the 26-year-old. Monfils hit a backhand winner and broke Pospisil at the third time of asking in the game to go 3-0 up. With 22 minutes gone in the set, the sixth seed served it out for a 4-0 lead. Pospisil eventually got on the board in the match at 4-1 with a hold to love. Two games later on the Pospisil serve, Monfils broke the Canadian for the third time and won the opening set 6-1 after some cat and mouse play at the net.
Clinical Monfils runs away with the set to book spot in second round
After holding serve to get the second underway, Pospisil followed suit by holding his own and getting on the board at the first time of asking. The Canadian then gained his first point using the backhand slice to effect before putting away the smash at the net. Pospisil saw a Monfils shot go beyond the baseline and for the first time in the match, the 26-year-old went in front at 1-2. Despite going ahead, the recent Rogers Cup semi finalist shut the Canadian down and got back on level terms. This was then followed by a hold of serve to regain the lead at 3-2.
Following an error-filled game from the Canadian, Monfils had a third break point chance at 40-30. He went three from three in the set and went 4-2 up after Pospisil fired a forehand into the net. The Frenchman consolidated for a solid 5-2 lead. The 26-year-old held serve for only the third time in the match and gave his French opponent the chance to serve for the match. The Frenchman hit an ace to bring up three match points. Pospisil hit a great return in which Monfils' couldn't retrieve, but did close the match out in the following game for 6-1, 6-2.