Schwartzman pushes Monfils to four in final US Open match

Frenchman Gael Monfils defeated Argentinian qualifier Diego Schwartzman 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 to advance to the second round of the US Open in New York on Monday.

The match was Schwartzman’s final appearance at the US Open, with the two-time quarter-finalist announcing that he will retire later this season.

Having moved his way through qualifying, Schwartzman brought a high level to the match immediately, pushing Monfils – who just won UTS New York – to a first-set tie-break and winning easily.

He was unable to keep pace with Monfils over the next three sets, however, winning just five more games.

“It’s difficult to speak. I’m a guy who cries a lot,” said Schwartzman after the match, as the Argentinian was paid tribute to on the large screen and gifted a framed compilation of memories from his time in New York.

“Special moments like you saw on the screen,” he continued. Once again playing here… 11 times. I did great.

“But I think the entire crowd today, the years before, all the Latin American people, all the American people here… I don’t know why they take care of me so good every year. I’m not sure if I deserve it or not.

“I’m really grateful about all the years I’ve been here. I want to say thank you one more time to all the people here and who are watching on TV… I never dreamed of these kind of moments. I ran so much and maybe I deserve it now. I’m happy to have these moments.

“Congrats Gael one more time and to your team. I will enjoy every single moment from now on. I want to say thank you.”

Monfils, ranked No 45, will face Norwegian Casper Ruud, the No 8 seed, next.

New York (Grand Slam), other first-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 75.000.000, most recent results first):

• Lorenzo Sonego vs. Tommy Paul
• Carlos Alcaraz vs. Li Tu
• Mattia Bellucci vs. Stan Wawrinka
• Fabian Marozsan vs. Hamad Medjedovic
• Zizou Bergs vs. Pavel Kotov
• Flavio Cobolli vs. James Duckworth
• Jaume Munar vs. Gabriel Diallo
• Christopher O’Connell vs. Nicolas Jarry
• Matteo Arnaldi vs. Zachary Svajda
• Corentin Moutet vs. Sebastian Korda
• Facundo Diaz Acosta vs. Hugo Gaston
• Denis Shapovalov vs. Botic van de Zandschulp
• Max Purcell vs. Aleksandar Vukic
• Arthur Fils vs. Learner Tien
• Alex De Minaur vs. Marcos Giron
• Dusan Lajovic vs. Daniil Medvedev
• Jannik Sinner vs. Mackenzie McDonald
• Matthew Forbes vs. Roman Safiullin
• Zhizhen Zhang vs. Jack Draper
• Daniel Evans vs. Karen Khachanov
• Otto Virtanen vs. Quentin Halys
• Fabio Fognini vs. Tomas Machac
• Borna Coric vs. Adrian Mannarino
• Nuno Borges vs. Federico Coria
• Eliot Spizzirri vs. Alex Michelsen
• Timofey Skatov vs. Hubert Hurkacz
• Constant Lestienne vs. Jordan Thompson
• Mariano Navone vs. Daniel Altmaier
• Alejandro Tabilo vs. David Goffin
• Jakub Mensik vs. Felix Auger-Aliassime
• Tristan Schoolkate vs. Taro Daniel
• Stefanos Tsitsipas vs. Thanasi Kokkinakis
• Radu Albot vs. Novak Djokovic
• Aleksandar Kovacevic vs. Frances Tiafoe
• Sumit Nagal vs. Tallon Griekspoor
• Laslo Djere vs. Jan-Lennard Struff
• Arthur Cazaux vs. Pablo Carreno Busta
• Sebastian Baez vs. Luciano Darderi: monday
• Holger Rune vs. Brandon Nakashima: monday
• Rinky Hijikata vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina: monday
• Christopher Eubanks vs. Arthur Rinderknech: monday
• Alexander Shevchenko vs. Dominik Koepfer: monday
• Grigor Dimitrov (9) beat Kyrian Jacquet (Q): 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
• Alexandre Muller vs. Adam Walton: monday
• Tomas Martin Etcheverry beat Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard: 6-4, 6-2, 6-3
• Yoshihito Nishioka vs. Miomir Kecmanovic: monday
• Francisco Cerundolo (29) beat Sebastian Ofner: 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
• Lorenzo Musetti (18) beat Reilly Opelka: 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-1, 7-5
• Jiri Lehecka (32) beat Marton Fucsovics: 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 3-0 ret.
• Taylor Fritz (12) beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli: 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
• Andrey Rublev (6) beat Thiago Seyboth Wild: 6-3, 7-6 (3), 7-5
• Pedro Martinez Portero beat Maks Kasnikowski (Q): 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (6)
• Alexei Popyrin (28) beat SoonWoo Kwon: 7-5, 6-2, 6-3
• Casper Ruud beat Yunchaokete Bu (Q): 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-2
• Matteo Berrettini beat Albert Ramos-Vinolas: 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-3
• Ben Shelton (13) beat Dominic Thiem (WC): 6-4, 6-2, 6-2
• Ugo Humbert (17) beat Thiago Monteiro: 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
• Juncheng Shang beat Alexander Bublik (27): 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
• Roberto Bautista Agut beat Luca Nardi: 7-5, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5)
• Mitchell Krueger (Q) beat Hugo Grenier (Q): 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
• Alexander Zverev (4) beat Maximilian Marterer (LL): 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2
• Francisco Comesana beat Dominic Stricker: 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3
• Roberto Carballes Baena beat Jan Choinski (Q): 6-2, 6-3, 5-7, 6-7 (5), 6-3