Photos: Gael Monfils upsets Tomas Berdych at French Open

Guess who's back? In the most anticipated first-round match of the French Open, wild card Gael Monfils of France upset fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych 7-6 (8), 6-4,

Courtney Nguyen|

Guess who's back?

In the most anticipated first-round match of the French Open, wild card Gael Monfils of France upset fifth-seeded Tomas Berdych 7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-7 (4), 7-5. Ranked as high as No. 7 just two years ago, Monfils has struggled with injuries and came into the tournament unseeded and ranked No. 81. Monfils needed more than just his flashy talent and raw athletic ability to outlast Berdych in a match that lasted more than four hours; the 26-year-old also had to tap into the mental resiliency that has often escaped him in tight matches.

Here are some of the best photos from Monfils' big win. Let's hope this wasn't a one-off performance from one of the game's most exciting players (who faces Ernests Gulbis next in another must-see match). Tennis is better when Monfils is on stage.

Photos via AP and Getty Images

Published May 27, 2013

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.

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