This Is How Hard It Is To Rip A Winner Past Gael Monfils

Gael Monfils is content to camp out eight feet behind the baseline and beat back whatever you send his way; it’s how the world No. 12 has made his living. He’s springy and long-limbed and you’re probably going to get tired before he does. But Mohamed Safwat, ranked No. 199, played Monfils’s game today and somehow came away with a winner. The Egyptian finished this 17-stroke, moan-filled rally with this pungent forehand down the line.

The underdog reels off a winner from a tough court position, with very little to work with. Still, the Frenchman won their first round match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, 6-4, 6-3.