Gael Monfils does something no other player has accomplished at the Australian Open after beating Taylor Fritz

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Gael Monfils produced one of the shocks of the Australian Open to reach the fourth round.

The Frenchman is into the last 16 for the first time since 2020 by stunning Taylor Fritz in four sets inside a raucous Margaret Court Arena.

The 38-year-old rolled back the years with an excellent performance to cause a stunning 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(1), 6-4 victory after three hours and four minutes.

Monfils has now won his last eight matches and will compete for a chance to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals for the third time in his career.

What did Gael Monfils accomplish at the Australian Open after beating Taylor Fritz?

At the Australian Open Gael Monfils took on Fritz for just the second time in their careers and this is their first meeting since 2019.

Fritz took an early lead but once Monfils levelled the match by taking set two, there was no stopping him.

He dominated the third set tiebreak, conceding just one point and after earning a break of serve at 4-4 in set three, Monfils successfully served out a truly magnificent win.

The veteran served 24 aces in his eighth successive victory, which means he is now the oldest player to defeat an opponent ranked inside the top five at the Australian Open since the ATP Tour rankings began.

Gael Monfils explains how he defeated Taylor Fritz at the Australian Open

Monfils’ serve was crucial in his matchup against Fritz and it was working very well for him throughout the contest.

He won 82 per cent of first-serve points and 68 per cent of second-serve points, in addition to hitting 51 winners as he stayed on the front foot against the American, who took a medical timeout for a leg injury.

Monfils, who will play Ben Shelton or Lorenzo Musetti next, explained his game which worked very well against the fourth seed.

“The game plan was to hold the baseline and change the tempo, hit some big shots down the line and also use some shape. I did the job,” he said.

“We work hard and I try to be very disciplined with the recovery. I’m a strong believer that I can still do some damage and I have a lot of trust in my team.”