Gael Monfils in full flight generally is a onerous juggernaut to cease — as Stefanos Tsitsipas came upon Wednesday on the Nationwide Financial institution Open Offered by Rogers.

The Frenchman delivered a stunning second-round show to upset the fourth-seeded Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-3 on the ATP Masters 1000 occasion in Toronto. An energised Monfils, enjoying simply his eleventh match of the yr resulting from harm, produced a number of moments of breathtaking energy and talent en path to a one-hour, 25-minute triumph.

Wednesday’s win was Monfils’ 350th tour-level triumph on onerous courts and will be seen as a press release that the 36-year-old is getting again to his crowd-pleasing greatest after restricted appearances in 2023. The Frenchman transformed three of six break factors he earned to down Tsitsipas, an ATP 250 champion in Los Cabos simply 4 days in the past.

“I knew that Stef had numerous confidence,” mentioned Monfils after the match. “He would attempt to go for his photographs. I attempted to place numerous balls in, tried to hit fairly heavy and never let him dictate an excessive amount of. I feel I did it effectively.”

Highlights of Monfils’ efficiency included a trademark leaping forehand within the eighth recreation of the primary set and a 188 km/h forehand winner to deliver up set level two video games later. It was Monfils’ first win towards a High 5 opponent since he defeated then-World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev in Indian Wells final yr.

Monfils struggled to complete off Christopher Eubanks in his Toronto opener, being pressured to a 3rd set by the American after letting slip two match factors. There have been no such points towards Tsitsipas, as he confidently levelled the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head collection at 2-2.

“It’s all the time the identical. Keep very calm within the head and go for a easy selection,” mentioned Monfils when requested about closing out the match towards the Greek. “Perhaps I used to be too easy on the primary match level [today] as a result of I may possibly have un leashed one forehand extra, however he did it earlier than me. To be sincere, I simply tried to be cool and attempt to do what I did throughout the match. No panic, in a method.”

A two-time semi-finalist on the Canadian Masters 1000 occasion, Monfils will tackle Sebastian Korda or Aleksandar Vukic within the third spherical.