Tennis fans were left saddened on Thursday when Novak Djokovic’s blockbuster clash with Gael Monfils at the Paris Masters was scuppered by injury.
Djokovic advanced to the quarter-finals without playing a point when Monfils pulled out with an adductor injury.
Monfils said he suffered the injury during his second-round victory over Adrian Mannarino, with an ultrasound revealing a muscular lesion.
“I have the impression that to be optimistic, in about 10 days I will be at 100%, but because of muscular lesion, you just need rest,” Monfils told reporters.
The Frenchman confirmed the injury would end his 2021 season.
Djokovic will have mixed feelings about how he got to the Masters last eight as he came to Paris saying he needed match practice after seven weeks off.
It was also a bitter blow for fans who were eager to see the latest chapter in Djokovic’s rivalry with Monfils.
The pair have played each other 17 times over the years, with Djokovic holding an astonishing 17-0 record.
