Gael Monfils said he was lucky not to break any bones after a trademark acrobatic dive left him with a deep cut and bruises on the way to his first Australian Open quarter-final yesterday
Anything for a point! France's Gael Monfils dives for a forehand against Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov during his fourth round Australian Open match yesterday
Melbourne: Gael Monfils said he was lucky not to break any bones after a trademark acrobatic dive left him with a deep cut and bruises on the way to his first Australian Open quarter-final yesterday.
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Anything for a point! France's Gael Monfils dives for a forehand against Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov during his fourth round Australian Open match yesterday. Pic/Getty Images
The athletic Frenchman went airborne for an unsuccessful baseline volley during his four-set battle with Russia's Andrey Kuznetsov, to excited applause from the crowd.
Afterwards Monfils was left nursing a deep cut on his finger and bruising that left him unable even to hold a racquet — but he insisted he had no regrets about going for broke.
The 29-year-old won 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) in two hours, 37 minutes to reach the last eight for the first time in 11 attempts.
"It's very painful. I cannot even grip anything right now. I have a deep cut. That's nothing. But I have a bruise. I'm lucky to do not have fracture," Monfils said.
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