AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Gael Monfils became the second-oldest player in more than 30 years to reach the final of an ATP Tour event after beating American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals at Auckland on Friday.
Monfils is 38 years, 131 days. Ivo Karlovic is the oldest to make a final, having finished runner-up in Pune, India, in 2019, at the age of 39 years, 311 days.
Frenchman Monfils has been breaking records steadily at Auckland. When he beat Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the quarterfinals, he became the oldest player in the professional era to reach the last eight.
He became the oldest semifinalist in Auckland when he beat Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-3, 6-1 to reach his 73rd ATP Tour semifinal. Only Novak Djokovic has played more.
Monfils will play qualifier Zizou Bergs in the final. Bergs beat Nuno Borges 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in Friday other’s semifinal to make his first ATP final.
Saturday’s final will be Monfils’ 35th at the tour level.
The 19-year-old Basavareddy also has been making waves in Auckland. He is the youngest American since Reilly Opelka to reach an ATP-level semifinal on hard courts. Opelka did so at the age of 18 in Atlanta in 2016.
The former Stanford star turned pro in December after a standout 2024 season on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
