Monfils to play in SA Open

Ask professional tennis players who they would regard as one of the most exciting players to watch on the tour and many of them would answer: "Gael Monfils''.

Now South Africans will get the opportunity to judge for themselves as the South African Tennis Association (SATA) has announced the 22-year-old Frenchman will be among the players to serve it up in the SA Tennis Open tournament at Montecasino in Johannesburg from February 2 to 8.

The world No 14 joins a list of compelling players, headed by world No 6 and fellow Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Spaniard David Ferrer and Cypriot Marcos Baghdadis. "I'm really looking forward to playing the South African Tennis Open. It will be a fun experience for me playing in Johannesburg. I am really excited to be able to go there and play," said Monfils.

"It's great that there is a new tournament in Johannesburg next year. I have heard a lot of good things about the tournament and ! I can't wait to go there and play in front of all the fans, it will be lots of fun.


Ironically Monfils has already won a trophy on the African continent this year, when winning a Challenger at Marrakech, Morocco in May. A week later he attempted to take the only other ATP Tour event on the African continent when he played in Casablanca but lost in the second round to Oscar Hernandez of Spain.


He went from Morocco directly to Roland Garros to play in the French Open where he knocked off countryman Arnaud Clement, Peru's Luis Horna, Austrian Jurgen Melzer and Croatian Ivan Ljubicic to reach the quarter-finals where he came up against Ferrer. Playing immaculate tennis Monfils, supported by the Paris crowd, beat the Spaniard 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1 to set up a semifinal clash with the then world No 1 Roger Federer. He managed to take a set off the top seed but in the end fell 2-6 7-5 3-6 5-7.


Monfils has wins over top 10 players lik! e David Nalbandian, Fernando Gonzalez, Andy Roddick, James Bla! ke and M arat Safin to his credit.


"I think it is a great coup for us to get somebody like Gael Monfils at next year's SA Open,'' said SATA CEO Ian Smith. "He is not only a superb artist and athlete but his entertaining style of play is sure to endear him to the South African public.''

Issued by Marks Mokolobate on behalf of BLD Communications