Gael Monfils remained adamant that he will ‘100%’ lose to Carlos Alcaraz in the fourth-round of the Shanghai Masters.
The French showman delivered a masterclass against younger compatriot Ugo Humbert in the third-round of the Shanghai Masters on Tuesday.
Gael Monfils marched past his countryman in emphatic style as he secured the deciding set 6-1 after winning the first on a tense tie-break 9-7.
While Humbert fought back to level things up with a dominant 6-2 victory in the second set, Monfils relied on his experience to reel of five games in a row to set up a thrilling tie with Carlos Alcaraz.
Monfils defeated Alcaraz just six weeks ago in Cincinnati, however has admitted he doesn’t fancy his chances for a famous double.
Gael Monfils says Carlos Alcaraz will 100% beat him at the Shanghai Masters
Tennis’ chief entertainer Monfils was brutally honest in an assessment of his chances against Alcaraz in the fourth round.
Despite having shocked him in America’s Mid-west, Monfils immediately rebuffed claims that he was about to do it again.
“No, no. I think he will beat me. He will crush me, 100%,” Monfils hilariously confessed, via Punto de break.
With the Frenchman recovering from a set down to win last time out, he said: “I believe I was lucky last time. It was not a good match for him, and I had a good one. His level is incredible. As I say, he is becoming a legend. I imagine he will crush me.
“I will try everything possible not to be crushed so easily. It’s all a bonus. This does not mean I won’t step onto the court with the right attitude, because I already have experience, but speaking from experience, I tell you that this kid is something else.
“Honestly, there will be a 99% chance for him. It is for that 1% that you go. I will enjoy it, but as a real man, I tell you, this kid is something else.”
With Alcaraz on an 11 match winning streak, Monfils chances are frustratingly slimming by the second.
Carlos Alcaraz will want to prove a point against Gael Monfils
With Alcaraz having convincingly shut down hearsay of a major career blip after back-to-back early defeats at Cincinnati and the US Open, the Spaniard will be in no mood to let them creep back in.
Alcaraz smashed his racquet against Monfils last time round in a rare spewing over of frustration.
With two convincing wins in Shanghai since his epic win over Jannik Sinner in the Beijing final, Alcaraz has got his mojo back.
While the remnants of that Cincinnati loss are sure to still be lingering, the 21-year-old will be keen to sail through this one in style as he looks for consecutive ATP titles and a firmer grip on the world number two spot.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
