AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Gael Monfils became the second-oldest player in more than 30 years to reach the final of an ATP Tour event after beating American Nishesh Basavareddy 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the semifinals at Auckland on Friday.
Monfils is 38 years, 131 days. Ivo Karlovic is the oldest to make a final, having finished runner-up in Pune, India, in 2019, at the age of 39 years, 311 days.
Frenchman Monfils has been breaking records steadily at Auckland. When he beat Jan-Lennard Struff to reach the quarterfinals, he became the oldest player in the professional era to reach the last eight here.
He became the oldest-ever semifinalist in Auckland when he beat Facundo Diaz Acosta 6-3, 6-1 to reach his 73rd ATP Tour semifinal. Only Novak Djokovic has played more.
Monfils will play qualifier Zizou Bergs in the final. Bergs beat Nuno Borges 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 in Friday other’s semifinal to make his first ATP final.
Saturday’s final will be Monfils’ 35th at the tour level.
The 19-year-old Basavareddy also has been making waves in Auckland. He is the youngest American since Reilly Opelka to reach an ATP -level semifinal on hard courts. Opelka did so at the age of 18 in Atlanta in 2016.
The former Stanford star turned pro in December after a standout 2024 season on the ATP Challenger Tour.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.