‘Warrior’ Gael Monfils makes ASB Classic final in Auckland, beating Nishesh Basavareddy

Gael Monfils celebrates winning his ASB Classic semifinal. Photo / Dean Purcell

When people talk about Gael Monfils, they often focus on the entertainment.

They see his brilliant shots, the extravagant retrievals, the aerobic moves. They also see the moments of showmanship, the jokes and interaction with the crowd. But what is often missed are his fighting qualities, which have ultimately seen him progress to the 2025 ASB Classic final.

Monfils was close to packing his bags on Tuesday, down 6-1, 5-2, before an unlikely turnaround. And he was seriously pushed in Friday’s semifinal by American whiz kid Nishesh Basavareddy, before prevailing 7-6 (5), 6-4 in 106 minutes.

While Basavareddy was relatively untroubled on serve throughout the match, Monfils had fend off five break points – and navigate a number of deuces. There was also a tense deficit in the tiebreak. But Monfils hung tough – and kept finding a way when it mattered most in baking temperatures of close to 35C on court – and against an opponent half his age.

“I always have a fighting spirit, so I feel people know that I’m a warrior on the court and I’m not [going to] give up that easy,” said Monfils. “So I’m very pleased with the way I get through because it wasn’t easy.”

The result means the Monfils masterclass in Auckland goes on. Two decades after his first final at this level, the 38-year-old is through to another one, the 35th of his career. And he continues to set records, now the second-oldest man to reach an ATP decider since the tour began in 1990, behind only Ivo Karlovic, who reached the 2019 final in Pune at the age of 39. It’s quite something.

”I’m just happy that I can still manage to do one more,” Monfils said with a laugh.

And this is extra special, the second final he has reached since his daughter Skai, with fellow tennis star Elina Svitolina, was born in October 2022.

”She starts to understand a little bit that we’re both tennis players so it’s more memories,” said Monfils.

The main memories from Friday will be of Monfils’ extraordinary defence, his capacity to absorb pressure – to find a way back into the rally – and then counterpunch.

”I love defence and if you ask anyone who knows me and [knows] tennis they will never tell you I’m an offensive player,” said Monfils. “I’m good in defence. It’s the way I’ve been blessed by the one upstairs.”

It was this ability that turned the match, shown late in the second set. Serving at 3-4, Monfils was in a hole at 15-40. He had worked hard throughout the set to stay on serve and was often bent over after long rallies, leaning on his racquet like a crutch. Basavareddy sensed it was time.

Monfils saved the first break point but looked gone on the second, as the American found a wicked cross-court angle. But the Frenchman got there – at full stretch – then somehow won the point, before eventually holding.

”That was really tough, but the one that I needed,” said Monfils. “I knew he was a little bit tired as well, so it was more put pressure on the next game and I was fortunate to break him.”

That hurt the American.

”Credit to him, he was just better in the bigger points, so I need to learn from that,” said Basavareddy. “He’s one of the best movers on tour. I like to play aggressive tennis and sometimes you have to back down a little bit because he is going to get a lot of balls back and wait for you to make some errors.”

Gael Monfils in action during the ASB Classic semifinal. Photo / Dean Purcell

The opening game stretched on for almost eight minutes, with Monfils fending off a break point. The American missed more break opportunities at 1-1 and 2-2 – one saved by a brilliant, horizontal swotted smash from the back of the court. From there, games went with serve – though Monfils was working harder – with a big effort for an improbable retrieve of a drop shot at deuce, 5-5.

The tiebreak was a beauty. Basavareddy had the edge at 5-4, with two of his own serves to come, but Monfils found a way back, with a big shout of “Let’s go” after getting to 6-5, before finishing off the set, as Basavareddy kicked his chair in frustration.

The second set was a similar recipe, Monfils fighting to hold, then seeming to conserve energy during his opponent’s service games. At times a third set seemed inevitable but Monfils, as he has done so often this week, noticeably lifted at the end of the set, before serving out the match.

World No 138 Basavareddy was disappointed but not too despondent, after a week where he bounced from qualifying all the way to the last four.

”I only had one top-100 win before this week, so to get five gives me a lot of confidence.”

He’ll need it as he prepares to face his childhood idol Novak Djokovic in the first round of the Australian Open next week.

”That’ll be really cool,” said Basavareddy. “One of the biggest tournaments in the world, so excited for that.”

Meanwhile, Monfils will look for one more improbable chapter in Auckland, for his 13th tour title, up against Belgian world No 66 Zizou Bergs.

“I don’t know,” said Monfils, when asked how it would feel to lift the trophy here. “I will tell you if I win.”

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns.