Bet on a long US Open match between Gael Monfils and Taro Daniel on Tuesday
Get ready for a show under the bright lights of New York City
![ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 24: Gael Monfils of France hits a shot against Thanasi Kokkinakis during the first round of the ATP Atlanta Open at Atlantic Station on July 24, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Adam Hagy/Getty Images)](https://www.inquirer.com/resizer/vnfQhlbTE5afKTYkXbIwiiar3I8=/760x507/smart/filters:format(webp)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/EKHENO4RMJCADC5KA2LP6O3MJA.jpg)
The atmosphere for Tuesday’s match between Gael Monfils and Taro Daniel should be electric.
While neither Monfils nor Daniel are expected to contenders to make especially deep runs at the US Open, this is expected to be the former’s final visit to Arthur Ashe Tennis Center as he has hinted that he’s going to retire after the 2024 French Open. The New York crowd has always loved the vivacious Frenchmen, so don’t expect there to be many empty seats on Court 17 for this contest.
Monfils is a -320 favorite over the Japanese journeyman.
Read our expert rankings of the best sports betting sites
Read our expert rankings of the best sports betting mobile apps
Gael Monfils vs. Taro Daniel Pick: Analysis
It’s hard not to get swept in a match featuring Gael Monfils. He’s an exquisite athlete and approaches the sport differently from almost anybody else on the ATP Tour. The 36-year-old is a showman more than a professional tennis player and he’s put fans under his spell for the last 20 years.
Pound for pound, La Monf may have more crowd support than anybody else at the US Open and given how electric things can get in Flushing Meadows -- especially at night -- that could make a difference between an early exit and a deep run.
Aside from the intangibles edge that Monfils will have in this contest, he also is the more talented player and is deserving of his status as the clear favorite in this tilt. He’s prone to unforced errors and inconsistent moments during matches, but his serve helps him pick up easy points and his other-worldly defensive ability means he’s a threat to break a serve at any moment.
That said, this isn’t a straightforward matchup for the Frenchman.
» READ MORE: Is Cam Norrie on upset alert ahead of match with Alexander Shevchenko at US Open Tuesday?
Stylistically, there’s very little similarity between Monfils and Taro Daniel. While Monfils is box office, Daniel is a professional who relies on sheer determination and willpower to stay in points and force his opponents into making mistakes.
Daniel doesn’t have any elite weapons in his arsenal, but he will happily slug it out and that’s not what Monfils is looking for in his opponents at this point in his career. Daniel is a scrapper and there will be times in this match where that is enough to put the momentum on side of the World No. 95.
With Daniel in decent form -- he’s won six of seven matches and won six of seven sets during US Open Qualifying -- I think this match has a decent chance to turn into a marathon. Thus, I’ll back the Over 36.5 games.
Gael Monfils vs. Taro Daniel Pick
Over 36.5 games (DraftKings)
» READ MORE: Full sports betting coverage from The Philadelphia Inquirer
The Inquirer is not an online gambling operator, or a gambling site. We provide this information about sports betting for entertainment purposes only.