'I love this player', Monfils lauds Draper after French Open loss
Gael Monfils would have liked to stick around longer than the second round at his 18th French Open but said he felt no shame in bowing out to Jack Draper on Thursday, happy just to have 'teased' a player whose game he loves.
The 38-year-old Frenchman at one point threatened the sort of comeback that has been his Roland Garros trademark before losing 6-3 4-6 6-3 7-5 to the fifth-seeded Briton in a late night thriller on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The players shared a long embrace at the net at the end of the contest and Monfils continued the vibe in his post-match press conference.
'A great night. A great match. Above all, I was happy, because he's feeling confident, but I managed to tease him a bit,' Monfils told reporters.
'I love this player. I love the way he plays, because he plays a fast backhand, when Jack was young he had the best backhand.
'Maybe he had fewer points, but he was more solid in the backhand, and he's progressed a lot on his forehand now.
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