Monfils beats Gasquet in all-French matchup to reach US Open quarterfinals for 1st time

Monfils beats Gasquet to reach US Open quarters

NEW YORK — Gael Monfils beat countryman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 7-5, 7-5 Monday to give France its first U.S. Open quarterfinalist in a decade.

The 17th-seeded Monfils had never advanced past the fourth round at a Grand Slam tournament other than the French Open. He reached the semifinals there in 2008.

Gasquet, ranked 38th, upset sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko in the second round. The former top-10 player missed more than two months last year after testing positive for cocaine. He successfully appealed, saying the drug inadvertently entered his system when he kissed a woman at a nightclub. This was his first fourth-round match at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon in 2008.

Gasquet had a chance to serve out the third set at 5-3, but Monfils broke back. He ended the match with his 14th ace.