Gael Monfils let Novak Djokovic know his honeymoon was over and it was time to get back to work by forcing the world number one to battle for a 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-2) second-round win at the Rogers Cup on Wednesday.
Playing his first match as a married man, Djokovic, a three-time winner in Canada, needed two hours, 41 minutes and a third set tie-break to subdue the Frenchman and extend his perfect record over the feisty Monfils to 10-0.
“Well, it’s a first and last time I hope I’m getting married, and of course it is different circumstances that I’m in,” laughed Djokovic, who was married after claiming his seventh grand slam title at Wimbledon.
Gael is Gael, that’s what he does.
“But it’s been many years already that I have been on the professional tour and with the same team of people around me who are experts in their fields ... and they are making sure I’m in the right frame of mind and in the right zone.”
Since losing in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, Djokovic had reached at least the semi-finals in all seven tournaments since, winning at Indian Wells, Miami, Rome and on the grass at Wimbledon where he reclaimed the top ranking.
Monfils continued to press Djokovic in the second and in two consecutive service games was within two points of ending his winless drought against the Serb.