Isner vs Monfils Odds & Prediction – ATP National Bank Open Quarterfinals
- Veterans John Isner and Gael Monfils clash in the quarterfinals of the ATP National Bank Open
- Isner ousted the 4-seed Andrey Rublev in the Round of 16
- Read below for odds, analysis and our betting prediction
They are two of tennis’ veteran tour players who’ve floated around the orbit of the men’s Big 3 all these years.
But with no Djokovic-Nadal-Federer in sight, American John Isner and France’s Gael Monfils have as good a shot as any to claim the ATP National Bank Open in Toronto.
They’ll battle each other for a berth in the final four on Friday night.
John Isner vs Gael Monfils Odds
| Player | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| John Isner (USA) | -2.5 (-100) | -200 | O 23.5 (-125) |
| [11] Gael Monfils (FRA) | +2.5 (-125) | +150 | U 23.5 (-125) |
Odds as of Aug. 12 at BetMGM.
How They Got Here
Isner’s path to the quarters has been a little more eventful and impressive. The 36-year-old American made quick work of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in the first round, before outlasting Chilean Cristian Garin in Round 2. Garin took the first set 6-4, before Isner rallied to take the next two sets from the 13th seed 6-3, 6-4.
He pulled the upset Thursday against the fourth-seeded Rublev, winning 7-5, 7-6.
Rublev getting extremely frustrated on court as Isner is rarely missing his first serve in this second set. Lots of screaming and *almost* smashed rackets at the other end. #TorontoOpen #Tennis #Rublev #Isner #NPO21 pic.twitter.com/QWigXJnmxX
— Owen Saunders (@CapperSaunders) August 12, 2021
The difference in the tightly contested match was his serve. Isner hit 20 aces to just a single double-fault, which helped him win 77% of his first serve points. Rublev had only four break point tries in the match, and was unable to convert any. Isner was able to break the Russian just once in eight tries, but that was enough to push him to victory.
"I looked up to you as a kid, I wanna see you play for many more years"
Moments we love to see ♥️@Gael_Monfils @FTiafoe #NBO21 pic.twitter.com/48pSJpf7wW
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 12, 2021
The 11th-seeded Monfils had a bye in the first round, and struggled early against 42nd-ranked John Millman of Australia, dropping the first set, before coming back to win in three. He looked far better against fellow countryman Frances Tiafoe, taking him out 6-1, 7-6 to advance to the quarters.
How They’ve Been Playing
Monfils has always been one of the tour’s wildcards. He’s always had the talent to go toe-to-toe with world’s best, but could just as easily bow out in the first round.
There haven’t been many volatile swings this season for the 34-year-old, who has really played poorly this year. Toronto has been easily his best showing of the campaign so far. He entered the National Bank Open with a 3-9 match record, and he’s advanced no further than the second round in four tournaments — and he was given a first-round bye in two of those tournaments.
Isner vs Monfils Head-to-Head Stats
| 36 | Age | 34 |
| Greensboro, NC | Birthplace | Paris, France |
| 6-10 | Height | 6-4 |
| 15 | Career ATP Singles Titles | 10 |
| 8 (July 2018) | Career High Ranking | 6 (November 2016) |
| 30 | Current Ranking | 22 |
| $19,671,519 | Career Prize Money | $19,636,167 |
| 9-6 | 2021 Won/Loss record | 3-9 |
| 5-7 | Career Head to Head | 7-5 |
His last win prior to this tournament was against unranked Aussie Christopher O’Connell at Wimbledon at the end of June. He was bounced in the opening round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics last time out.
Isner has been on the rise entering Toronto, taking the Truist Atlanta Open, his 15th career win on the tour. His most notable win was against American Taylor Fritz in the semifinal, bouncing the fifth seed in three sets. Prior to that, Isner also made the semifinals at the Mifel Open in Mexico, losing to Brandon Nakashima — the same guy he beat in the final at Atlanta.
What’s the Best Bet?
This is an interesting matchup with two players that have been around for some time.
Isner has been playing the best tennis of his season right now, and he’s looking to make a third straight trip to a tournament semifinal. He also bested Monfils the last time the two squared off, bouncing the Frenchman in Round 2 of the 2019 China Open, needing three sets to claim the title.
That moment John Isner won a record-breaking Atlanta title #6.#AtlantaOpen | #USOpenSeries | @johnisner | @atptour pic.twitter.com/CX0n07aGbM
— Truist Atlanta Open 🎾 (@ATLOpenTennis) August 2, 2021
That win stopped Monfils’ five-match win streak between the two. His last win vs Isner was at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna back in 2018. He also bet him in back-to-back years at the Indian Wells Masters in 2017 and 2018. But the stakes between them hasn’t been this high in a decade – literally.
The last time they met in a quarterfinal was the Open Sud de France in Montpellier in 2010. Monfils would go on to win that tournament.
Gael Monfils beats Frances Tiafoe 6-1, 7-6(2) to reach in Toronto his first QFs since february 2020.
Looks like he is back.
Gets John Isner tomorrow.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 12, 2021
It should be a good one: Isner will look to establish his serve, while Monfils is coming off a win where he won 31 points off his opponents serve, doubling Tiafoe in that category.
In their 12 head-to-head battles, all but three have gone the full three sets. This one has the makings of going the distance again.
The pick: Over 23.5 games (-125)
Having worked in and around sports since 1997, Eric is truly a knowledgeable expert. The two-time journalism grad specializes in all things NBA and NFL. From TSN.ca to CTV's Olympic Broadcast Consortium, Eric's work has appeared in local and national publications alike.
