Instant Replay: Monfils takes down Federer, more Monte Carlo highlights

Welcome to Instant Replay, a recap of the best highlights, GIFs and photos as we move into the business end of this week's tournaments.

Courtney Nguyen | Apr 16, 2015

Instant Replay: Monfils takes down Federer, more Monte Carlo highlights /

Welcome to Instant Replay, a recap of the best highlights, GIFs and photos as we move into the business end of this week's tournaments.

No. 1 Novak Djokovic eased into the quarterfinals on Thursday at the Monte Carlo Masters with a 6–4, 6–0 win over Andreas Haider-Maurer and will play U.S. Open champion Marin Cilic, who, in just his second tournament this season, beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6–3, 7–6 (5). Eight-time Monte Carlo champion Rafael Nadal earned a rematch with his good friend David Ferrer. Ferrer handed Nadal his earliest loss in Monte Carlo in over a decade last year when he beat Nadal in the quarterfinals. If Djokovic and Nadal win, they will face off for the first time this season in the semifinals.

Rounding out the quarterfinals, No. 4 seed Milos Raonic will play No. 7 seed Tomas Berdych and in what will surely be the most entertaining match of the day, Grigor Dimitrov and Gael Monfils face off. Both men pulled of upsets on Thursday, as Dimitrov beat defending champion Wawrinka 6–1, 6–2 and Monfils earning his second straight win over Federer, 6–4, 7–6 (5).

Here are the highlights from the week so far:

Nadal had not lost a set before the quarterfinals since his first appearance at the tournament back in 2003, but he needed three sets to beat John Isner 7–6 (8), 4–6, 6–3. Watch Nadal track down a drop shot against Isner and offer up the perfect reply:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwqZOzxP0w8]

Dimitrov shows off his reflexes and touch en route to a win over Wawrinka:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PHWj9aizH0]

Has Monfils finally figured out how to beat Federer? He's abandoned his passive style for a more aggressive look against Federer the last three times they've played and he has no lost a set to him in their last two matches. Watch highlights from his win in Monte Carlo:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyMBTxq2qxo]

The Gael Monfils Shake-and-Bake:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmbn02vqjaM]

Nadal's colorful kit has everyone talking this week:

Nadal said his second round win over Lucas Pouille may have been his best match of the year. Watch highlights below:

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KIzNx397dw]

Here is your obligatory "Put Monte Carlo on your tennis bucket list" photo:

Published Apr 16, 2015

COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.