Gael Monfils says loss marks his final Toronto visit

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Gael Monfils said he has played for the last time in Toronto after crashing out of the Masters in Sunday’s opening round of the ATP Masters to a Chilean qualifier.

The 38-year-old French tennis icon missed out on four match points to exit 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3) to number 142 Tomas Barrios Vera, who won the first Masters match of his career and ended a seven-match loss streak at the ATP level.

Monfils symbolically touched the baseline as he walked off a loser after nearly three hours in torrid summer temperatures approaching 35 Celsius.

“There’s no explanation, it’s the last one,” he said. “It will be two years to play (again) in Toronto, so pretty much I won’t be able to play it. Obviously I think the next one is too old for me, so I think it was the last time I’ll play here.”

He added: “I actually thought at the end, and I was like, ‘Well, I think it’s, unfortunately, but the last time I think I would play here.'”

Monfils had little good to say about his effort.

“Without taking credit from my opponent, (it was a) bad match from my side, not the quality that I want, not the level that I want to perform,” he said.

“(I need to) try to work hard, feel this winning (habit come) back a little bit and try to still believe.

“Keep my head up, even though it’s not easy, but I will try my best.”