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Gael Monfils to take on American John Isner at Indian Wells

By Harry Floyd

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Sweat flies in the air a Gael Monfils of France serves in his second round match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day four of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 18: Sweat flies in the air a Gael Monfils of France serves in his second round match against Novak Djokovic of Serbia on day four of the 2018 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 18, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images) /
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Gael Monfils wins his opener at Indian Wells 2018. The French tennis star takes on a struggling John Isner next at the event.

Gael Monfils is unseeded at the Indian Wells Masters this month. Don’t let that fool you though. The French tennis veteran has already taken home one singles title on the 2018 ATP World Tour. His next opponent is struggling right now too.

Defeating Australian Matthew Ebden 6-3, 6-3, Monfils moves on and faces American tennis star John Isner next at Indian Wells.

Isner is just 2-5 in his competitive ATP singles matches so far on the year. Despite his current ranking, the French tennis star could easily be considered the favorite in their upcoming matchup. Look for Monfils to come out strong after his opening round win this week.

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John Isner is in desperate need of a win at Indian Wells.

Several top ranked American tennis players such as Isner, Jack Sock, and Sam Querrey are seeing strong competition in the early months of the 2018 ATP World Tour. They will continue to slide in the men’s singles rankings if the losses continue. The meeting between Isner and Monfils is critical for him moving forward. If he splashes out in the early rounds of yet another tournament, Isner could be in trouble. Monfils, on the other hand, is off to a generally solid start on the year. He appears to be a top contender in any match he plays. While the French tennis star is yet to notch a Grand Slam title, he has put together an impressive career in men’s singles tennis.

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Look for Gael Monfils to be someone to watch moving forward at the 2018 Indian Wells Masters. Roger Federer remains the heavy favorite right now. After winning the Australian Open, the Swiss tennis great won yet another title in Rotterdam and overtook Rafael Nadal for the world No. 1 ranking. Federer is in action on Saturday at the Masters 1000 event. He is also the defending champion at Indian Wells. Monfils and others will need to be at their very best throughout the rest of the tournament.

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