ATP 250 Auckland final
Bergs – Monfils: 11.01.2025 02:00 CEST
H2H: first meeting
Zizou Bergs has won six straight matches. Last week in Hong Kong, Bergs lost in the 1/8-Finals against Fils in tight straight sets. He put up a big fight but crumbled under pressure when it was most important.
Here in Adelaide, Bergs successfully qualified for the main draw tournament. Zizou started slow in the first qualifying round, losing the first set 2-6 against Carreno-Busta. However, Bergs was a better player and turned the match around. In the final qualifying round, it was an almost exact scenario. Zizou lost the opening round against Comesana but once again turned the match around. Zizou won against Becroft in straight sets in the opening main draw round. After that, Bergs had another easy match, winning against Nardi in the 1/8-Finals. Both matches were an easy task for a young Belgian. His toughest challenge was in the quarterfinals against Carballes Baena. Bergs lost the opening set 1-6 but kept his composure and turned the match around. Both players served terribly throughout the match.
Today, in the semifinals, Bergs defeated Borges as we predicted. Zizou should have won the match in straight sets. He was 2-0 up in the second set but made some unforced errors and lost his composure. In the third set, Borges had a chance to close out the match by serving at 5-4. Zizou won three straight games and won the match. Around this time last year, Bergs had not played any preparation tournaments for the Australian Open.
Gael Monfils has won four of his last five matches. Last week in Brisbane, he reached the second round but lost against Djokovic in straight sets. The Frenchman has a 0-20 losing record against Novak.
Here in Auckland, Monfils defeated Martinez after losing the first set 1-6. Gael was even 2-5 down in the second set, but he turned the match around. That opening match was also his most challenging match so far in the tournament. In the second round, Gael won against Struff in comfortable straight sets. In the quarterfinals, Diaz Acosta had no answer for Gael’s serve. Monfils won 6-3 6-1 after spending around one hour on the court. It was important for the Frenchman to get the job done quickly to rest for the upcoming matches.
Today, in the semifinals, Monfils won against Basavareddy in straight sets, as we predicted. Gael was great under pressure, saving all five breakpoints. His experience prevailed, as we mentioned in our previous articles. He broke Nishesh’s serve once, which was enough for him to win comfortably in straight sets. Last year in Auckland, Gael lost his opening match against Marozsan in three tight sets.
Best Bet to Make
According to the bookies, Monfils is the slight favorite in this match, and we agree. This is Bergs’s first ATP Final, and he is quite inexperienced at this level. We believe that Monfils will again be a better player on the court because of his experience. Gael has already won 12 titles, so we expect him to be calm on the court tonight.
That being said, Monfils winning is a value bet.
Value bet/ the best odds: Gael Monfils winning @1.62 @bet365
Main Photo Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
