Gael Monfils: "I can't play in wind"

For one set, Gael Monfils gave world No. 3 Novak Djokovic fits with his athletic movement and his ability to cover the court. But after blowing the tiebreaker without winning a point on his serve, Monfils allowed himself to be blown away on a windy day with very little resistance on his way to a 7-6, 6-1, 6-2 quarterfinal loss at the U.S. Open.

Monfils is, uh, unorthodox at times to say the least. In the first set, with a ball coming at his feet, he leaped in the air, reached behind himself and tried to swat a return between his legs while facing the net. It had no chance. ESPN's commentators said he had any number of options, but Monfils insisted, "I do it because I didn't have time to go here, go there."

In the last two sets of the match, it almost seemed as if Monfils gave in mentally because he found it difficult to play his game in the wind. He admitted it was confusing, saying, "I was not expecting that wind. You can't serve like you want; you can't hit like you want."

French soccer star Thierry Henry, who now plays for the Red Bulls and is friends with Monfils, was in the stands to cheer him on. But there wasn't much to cheer as Djokovic took control.

Asked if he should have competed a bit harder in the final two sets, Monfils said the conditions simply didn't suit his game. "With that wind, you can find my weakness," Monfils said. "I'm physical and speed. In the wind, you have to be very focused. That talent for playing in the wind, I don't have that yet. I can't serve; I can't really use my forehand. It was tough for me to be aggressive."

Maybe when he learns to do more than simply rely on his natural athletic gifts and gains the ability to focus under any condition, Monfils will rise from his No. 17 ranking and crack the top 10.