• Valentin Vacherot (No. 27) will face American Brandon Nakashima

Acapulco, February 25, 2022. – Gaël Monfils, one of the most beloved players among Mexican fans and on the ATP Tour, said goodbye to the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presented by HSBC after being defeated by Valentin Vacherot of Monaco 6-3, 6-3. With this loss, the French veteran bid farewell to Acapulco, where he was a finalist in 2009. 

Monfils was competitive throughout the match, showing good serving that helped him achieve five aces, but he was also the victim of his unforced errors, committing 18 throughout the match.

In the second set, it looked like Gaël was turning the score around, but Vacherot was more aggressive and managed to win the decisive points. This was the first time Monfils and Vacherot had faced each other on the ATP Tour. 

“I don’t think I’m the favorite. I’m fairly new to the Tour, so every match is a new experience for me and I try to learn as much as possible. But expectations change without anyone noticing. Anyone can play at such a high level on a single day, so it’s about being the best you can be,” Vacherot said after the match. 

Davidovich-Fokina falls to Italy’s Belucci

Last year’s finalist, Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich-Fokina, world No. 14 and fourth seed, was eliminated after falling to Italy’s Mattia Belucci (No. 110) 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 13 minutes. 

Belucci had a great match, showing great speed from the back of the court and reaching all the balls, complemented by a powerful left-handed serve, scoring 10 aces. 

For Belucci, this victory over Fokina was a real rematch, as it was the Spaniard who knocked him out of last year’s tournament in the first round. The Italian’s next opponent will be American Frances Tiafoe, who advanced after defeating his compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic.