Monfils wins all-French affair

NEW YORK: Gael Monfils, the 20th seed, celebrated his 28th birthday a day early by sweeping past French Davis Cup teammate Richard Gasquet, the 12th seed, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2 despite his protests that the damp Louis Armstrong court was too treacherous to play on.

It was Monfils´ third win this year over his compatriot.

Monfils, who made the quarter-finals in 2010, will face either Bulgarian seventh seed Grigor Dimitrov, who had never won a match in New York in three appearances before this year, or Belgium´s David Goffin, the world 56.

Goffin had also never won a match in New York before this year and he comes into the event buoyed by a recent maiden title in Kitzbuhel and a quarter-final run at Winston-Salem where he had to qualify.