In 2004, in the small town of Santa Margherita di Pula in Sardinia, Italy, two teenage tennis players, met in the quarter-final of a nondescript ITF “futures” tournament.
The elder of the two, a 17-year-old Frenchman named Gaël Monfils, won that encounter, in what is the third-tier tennis competition, in three sets, 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 6-2.
That’s no surprise. Monfils won three of the four boys grand slam singles titles that season.
A year later, the pair met again, this time in the main draw of the US Open.
This time, over five gruelling sets, the younger of the two won, a Serbian playing in his first US Open.
His name was Novak Djokovic.
In the intervening 20 years, the pair have played 19 more times at ATP level.
Djokovic has won every single one of those matches.
Novak Djokovic has an enviable record against Gaël Monfils. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
The 24-time grand slam winner’s 20th-straight victory over Monfils on Thursday, a routine 6-3, 6-3 in an hour and 12 minutes at the Brisbane International extends his record for having the most lopsided head-to-head record against any single player at ATP level to a soul-sapping 20-0.
Djokovic noted that Monfils was the “best dancer we have on the tour” in his press conference.
But at the end of the match, as the Serbian maestro mocked playing a violin and then, new for this victory, a saxophone with his racquet, it was clear not even Monfils could tap out a rhythm to the Serbian’s irrepressible beat.
“I’ve known Gaël since I was 15, he was 16,” Djokovic said on court post-match.
“We played quite a few matches at junior level and now on the tier one professional circuit, and I’ve had a good score against him over the years.”
It’s almost cruel, Djokovic inflicting his own personal brand of purgatory for some unknown sin perpetrated by Monfils.
Djokovic’s superiority over his peers has already been confirmed, but such ritual humiliation against an eminently capable opponent, with a career high of six and 12 career ATP titles, is almost sadistic.
“We had some really tough battles. He had a couple of matches where he was one point away … It just happens,” Djokovic said.
“When you are on a bad roll, it is also affecting you mentally.”
Gaël Monfils barely laid a glove on Novak Djokovic. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
One wonders how things may have altered had Monfils come out on top of that fifth set all those years ago at the US Open?
He had won the fourth 6-0, so it’s not too far fetched.
Would Djokovic have still gone on to be the sporting behemoth had he stumbled in the first round at Flushing Meadows instead of the third, when Fernando Verdasco beat him in five sets?
It’s unlikely.
It took the Serbian two more years before he would reach the first of his 37 grand slam finals to date.
But it’s nice to wonder.
Sadly for fans of the underdog though in Brisbane, Monfils never looked likely in this, their 20th professional meeting.
It took the Frenchman six attempts to score his first point of the match — he barely laid a racquet on any of Djokovic’s serves in the first game.
Djokovic breaking seemed inevitable, Monfils powerless to resist what fate had clearly already decreed for him.
Novak Djokovic played another excellent match from the baseline. (Getty Images: Bradley Kanaris)
There were occasional flashes of wonder, some vintage rallies from two of the game’s most vintage stars, one in the second set which had the crowd cooing and Djokovic smiling and applauding at its audacity, athleticism and execution.
But in truth, this was as routine as it gets.
Monfils earned one break point in the first set, which Djokovic saved with a thunderous ace out wide.
Djokovic earned three and took them all.
Monfils mixed stunning returns and his usual dynamism with a litany of unforced errors, as if he knew that going for it all on every point was the only way he could break this biggest of ducks.
By beating Monfils, Djokovic becomes the oldest quarter finalist in Brisbane International history, and celebrated with a violin for daughter Tara, a saxophone for son, Stefan, with him in Australia for the first time.
Novak Djokovic was playing a tune that not even Gaël Monfils could dance to. (AAP Image: Darren England)
“My daughter told me to keep going with violin if I win and my son told me to play the saxophone, so I try to incorporate the both as a kind of celebrations.
“It’s the first time for me to have my family Down Under, it’s a very long trip but they came here to be with me, to support me, and spending a lot of great quality time together, so my heart is full and it allows me to play my best tennis.”
The fact Djokovic’s family is here for the first time could be significant.
Should he win the Brisbane International for the first time, it would be his 100th top-level title.
“I was actually a little bit surprised as well, my wife [Jelena] said she wanted to take the kids on the road and come to Australia,” Djokovic said.
“I wasn’t expecting that because I know it’s a long trip, school and everything. Many challenges that you have to face as a parent.
“So far it’s working very well. I mean, I’m feeling great on the court. I’m playing great. It allows me to, first of all, not feel the guilt that I’m so far away for such a long time.
“It’s a great balance so far.”
There’s the other fact that it might be a time of enjoying the opportunity while they can.
Djokovic (37) and Monfils (38) are the two oldest players currently in the world’s top 100.
It means that time is running out for both of them, especially Monfils if he is to arrest one of the sport’s most disparate records.
“It was a special match in a way, playing a 37-year-old versus 38-year-old on the tour in the first tournament of God knows what season of ours that we have in our career,” Djokovic said.
“I enjoyed it. I think it was a good quality match.”
When Djokovic’s on court, they are rarely anything else.
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