Jack Draper survives a serious test of home favorite Gael Monfils, 38, to silence the French open crowd under the lights and to reach the third round

Jack Draper the Gael-Force Winds of the Philippe Chatrier Night session survived to the third round of the French open.

On paper, a matchup with a 38-year-old world NO42 should have been easy. But there is an alchemy between Gael Monfils and Chatrier under the lights that never fails to produce gold.

The 23-year-old Draper needed all his determination, determination and skill to win 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. In the death of the fourth set, the body of Monfils finally abandoned him, allowing Draper to avoid a dangerous fifth set.

“What a fight against someone I admire,” said the NO5 seed. “He is a joker, he is a magician, he does everything.

‘This is why I play tennis, to play for large crowds in matches like this. My brain was baked here. I’m not sure I’m going to sleep tonight because my brain is just everywhere with what he did. That is why he is loved by all fans. The players love to view him too, but not play against him! ‘

Previous victories for Cam norrie And Jacob Fearnley meant that Great Britain had three men in the third round of the French open for the first time in the open era.

Jack Draper produced an excellent display to overcome Gael Monfils in the French Open

Draper won 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 when he managed to reach the third round

Monfils, 38, gave his anything but the Frenchman was eventually defeated by Draper

Norrie and Fearnley play each other and guarantee a first Brit in the second week since Andy Murray in 2017.

Draper is confronted with a delicious collision with the 18-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca.

A potential obstacle was removed from the path of Draper when his potential opponent Alex de Minaur collapsed in the fourth round of two sets against Kazak Maverick Alexander Bublik.

But we are ahead of ourselves; Back to Monfils. It was the second night session in a row for the 38-year-old. In the first, against Hugo Dellian of Bolivia, he took a tough fall after five points of the game and lost the first two sets. From there he called on a comeback with the stadium.

To support that two days later, there would have been some trouble, against a man in fifth place in the world and 15 years his junior.

But back up, he did it, for three hours and 11 minutes absorbent tennis. Only in the deaths of the fourth set did his body abandon him, allowing Draper to avoid a dangerous fifth set.

There is an alchemy between Monfils and Chatrier under the lights that never produces gold. “I love night sessions,” he said after the Dellian victory. “It’s fantastic, just extraordinary.”

This was not an easy environment for Draper, which made his chatrier debut with most of his 15,000 fans against him.

Draper is now confronted with a delicious collision with the 18-year-old Brazilian sensation Joao Fonseca

Monfils was brilliant in the second set, but it was Draper who managed to get through it

In the early exchanges it seemed that he was silenced them, but when Monfils broke in the second set, things started to become alive – uncomfortable for Draper.

Here was a turning point: Draper did not do enough with a simple forehand volley, and the old man with the legs of a teenager sprinted over and hit a winner along the line. From the Monfils Swagger, the arms widely stretched, the head nodded, the toothy smile of joy in the heat of the battle.

This court has seen much better players than Monfils in his time, but never a larger showman.

He was brilliant in the second set, and his movement for a man pushing 40 is completely absurd. It was placed in perspective after the net had viewed Richard Gasquet, who is the same age, Potter over the court in his last match ever before retirement.

As the intensity of the crowd rose, this became a serious test for Draper and it sometimes came to him.

But one of Draper’s biggest strengths is not in panic when he feels the tugboat of tension, fear or pressure. He acknowledges his feelings, takes a few deep breathing and moves past it.

The fans did their best to get on top of him. Mystifying, they chased him to play a drop -shot – it might be a bad form for Les Ransbifs to be so good on clay.

The key for Draper was to maintain aggression. Monfils will run all day all day long after the ball, and in the past Draper would have been dragged into that kind of competition.

Draper should have gained the fourth set more comfortably, but in the end conquered

But he hit 59 winners, compared to 33 not -forced errors. Throw a 43-29 ratio in his first round victory and they are seriously impressive figures.

Draper should have got the fourth set more comfortable. After missing a whole series of breaking points, he played a sloppy game, ending with a double mistake, to go down 4-2.

The crowd now pulsed to the heartbeat of Monfils while he seemed to force another five. When Monfils hit a backhand that cut it, bounced up, hit the net again and then caught for a winner, it was as if the forces of physics are bending to his will. Draper dropped, in his hands, then – the first visible sign of the toll, this took him.

Monfils went 5-2 but stopped in the next game and Tweak a muscle in his leg. His movement and especially the ability to force for his serve were seriously compromised and Draper broke – the first of 11 breaking points he had converted in the set.

Draper fell 15-40 down to 4-5, but four powerful first serves save two set points and leveled the scores. Monfils fought hard and there was always tension, but he never won another game after the physical discomfort was set.

It was a shame to end this way, but there was a warm and extensive hug between the couple on the net.