Hot-shot Medvedev checks his temper to stop Monfils

Daniil Medvedev salvaged a place in the third of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday as he tamped down a temper flare-up to complete a 6-2, 6-4 win over Gael Monfils.

The popular French showman took a 4-1 lead after losing the opening set to the fourth seed, with what turned out to be an erroneous over-rule from the umpire’s chair left Medvedev steaming.

But the winner of the Rome Masters on clay last spring, stayed in control, eventually running out the winner after 89 minutes.

Medvedev has set a goal of staying calm in the heat of battle this season and managed to do just that despite his frustration.

 “I’m happy I managed to get my composure back,” he said despite a brief and shouty outburst at the sit-down against chair Mohamed Lahyani.

“There will still be moments when I’m gonna be crazy. I was sure the ball was out (and Hawkeye proved that later).

“It’s a pity, I would have won that game. But even from 4-1 down I came back to win the match.”

Medvedev moved closer to the semi-final he reached here a year ago, with his victory; Monfils ended with 41 unforced errors in front of his home crowd.

Medvedev moved into a third-round contest with Karen Khachanov, who beat Francisco Cerundolo 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.

“He likes clay more than I do,” the confirmed hard-court with eighteen titles on the surface said.

“We have never played on the Tour, but I know he can play well on clay.

“I need to be at my best to beat him.

Main photo:- Daniil Medvedev and Mohamed Lahyani at the chair after bad call – by ISF Ltd