TENNIS -15/11/2009
Djokovic wins in Paris
Djokovic had enjoyed a 6-2 3-0 lead before Monfils used the energy of his home crowd to peg his opponent back and force a decisive third set.
But in the end Djokovic just had too much for the Frenchman and sealed his first Masters Series title of the year when Monfils slapped down his sixth double fault after two hours and 43 minutes.
It was incredibly tough," Djokovic said after winning his fifth title this year.
"Gael is very unpredictable. He was hitting the ball well and he's got a strong serve. At first I played unbelievable but then he started coming back, with the crowd on his side."
Djokovic made a blistering start to the match, picking up exactly where he had left off in his semi-final demolition of world number two Rafael Nadal, dropping just three points on his serve in the first set.
The Serb also broke in the in the fourth game when the pressure finally got to Monfils and he slapped a backhand down the line into the net.
From there, Djokovic rarely looked back; posting another two very easy service games before breaking again in the eighth game, when Monfils slapped down his first double fault to concede the set.
The 22-year-old further extended his lead when he broke early in the second set, producing a stunning dipping forehand across court that would not have been out of place on a squash court and that Monfils could only return into the net.
But the Frenchman was determined not to give up so easily in front of his home crowd and reeled off three straight games, including a break when Djokovic hit consecutive errors - a forehand into the net a forehand wide and a backhand volley into the net.
Djokovic did manage to stop the run of games against him with a hold in the seventh game but the Frenchman had all the momentum and broke again in the 11th game before levelling up the match immediately when the Serb sent a tame second serve return into the net off the backhand wing.
The early stages of the third set were characterised by errors as the players traded three straight breaks of serves, although it was Djokovic who found his feet first, cementing his break advantage with a love service hold in the fifth game.
But Monfils was still not beaten and the Frenchman broke back once again, just two games later, when Djokovic erred with his fourth double fault of the match.
Twice Monfils was forced to serve to stay in the match and twice he stood up to the task, holding to 15 and love respectively to force the final set tie-break.
Once again, though, Djokovic just edged ahead; Monfils sending a forehand just long of the baseline before the change of ends.
And this time, the Serb was determined not to relinquish his lead; producing an angled forehand stop volley followed up by a low smash winner to bring up his first two championship points before being gifted the match when Monfils hit the double fault.
"He played very well at first and there wasn't much I could do but I kept believing in myself and really fought for it," said Monfils.
"I managed to fight my way back into it and I nearly made it," he added, clearly moved. "It's a pity, really.