Lleyton Hewitt: "I was predicting a very tough match, I lost the last couple of times to Gael and he's a tremendous athlete. Winning the tournament in Halle was perfect timing, it gave me a lot of confidence to know I'm playing well on this surface. Novak Djokovic [who Hewitt plays next] and I have had some tough matches in the past, it's going to be a good one."

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 4-6 Hewitt
Great point from Hewitt to make it 0-30, setting Monfils up for the fall with some rasping groundstrokes before stooping at the net and putting away a backhand volley. Three match points on the Monfils serve - Monfils misses with a first serve down the middle and that's a double fault. A rather meek end, but then Hewitt could sap the energy out of a classroom of five-year-olds just through his very presence. Djokovic up next, Hewitt looks like a contender.

*Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 4-5 Hewitt
Hewitt wilting all of a sudden, poor shot selection and Monfils is all over any mistake. But can he deliver the knockout punch? Better from Hewitt, rushing the net and putting away a whipped forehand winner to make it 15-30, but what a rally that is from Gael Monfils, pulling Hewitt all over the court before sniffing him out with a stinging forehand winner. Hewitt saves one break point and forces the advantage by outlasting Monfils in a marathon exchange. Hewitt breaks Monfils' heart, the Frenchman will be serving to stay in it.

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 4-4 Hewitt*
Monfils to square things up in the third set. He goes long with a forehand to make it 30-30 but the Frenchman sends down his 20th ace to make it 40-30. Hewitt then sends a forehand long, pressure now for the Aussie...

*Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 3-4 Hewitt
Hewitt with a couple of unforced errors, the second a timid sliced backhand just wide. And another, this time Hewitt plonking a forehand into the net. A chink for Monfils and he kicks the door ajar with a deft drop-shot and creating two break points. He blows the first but Hewitt hands him the second, finding the net again. Hewitt tiring? Or showing signs of nerves? Whatever, Monfils is alive...

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 2-4 Hewitt*
Monfils losing patience now and hitting out early. Hewitt makes it 30-30 and then deuce as Monfils flips a wristy backhand wide. Monfils wins the next point before Hewitt leaps into the court and wellies a forehand winner down the line. But Monfils pulls out a couple of bombs to save.

*Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 1-4 Hewitt
Hewitt is grittier than a roll of sandpaper, and he has the same attritional effect on opponents, slowly wearing off their edges and grinding them down. Monfils can only bunt a forehand return back and Hewitt puts him away to make it 40-15. Good scrambling from Monfils, chipping the ball back on the run, but Hewitt is there again and pops it back over to save.

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 1-3 Hewitt*
Hewitt wins a cute little exchange at the net - the Aussie has won 31 of 34 points at net - before Monfils unveils a whipped forehand pass. But that's a tired-looking shot from Monfils, skewing a forehand long, before he recovers his composure with a string of vicious forehands to save break point. Hewitt creates another though, and Monfils leans back and bombs a forehand long...

*Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 1-2 Hewitt
Hewitt hits the sideline with his first serve and follows up with a smash to make it 15-0. Monfils squares things, mixing things up with some slice on the backhand, but then knifes a backhand long. Long from Hewitt on the backhand side before Monfils misses with a forehand pass. Monfils puts a return long and that's another Hewitt service hold.

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 1-1 Hewitt*
Monfils races into a 30-0 lead and makes it 40-0 with a coruscating backhand winner. Monfils plays a rather lady-like backhand drop-shot that Hewitt spots a mile off but does go on to hold.

*Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) 0-1 Hewitt
Has there ever been a more determined player in tennis than Hewitt? When the time comes to build a statue of him back in Sydney, there will be wrangles for months because no material will be deemed hard enough. Hewitt starts where he left off, rushing in and putting Monfils away with a whipped backhand. The Aussie moves into a 40-0 lead but Monfils shows his mettle with a clubbed backhand down the line. Monfils nicks another point on the Hewitt serve but eventually plonks a backhand into the net to hand his rival the game.

Boris Becker on BBC TV: "Hewitt played almost a little nervously in the second set and couldn't take his chances or convert all the six break points he had. Only at the end of the tie-break did he start to play like his old self and control the rallies. Monfils used his big serve in the tie-break and was only a point away from making it a set-all."

Monfils 3-6 6-7 (9-11) Hewitt
Monfils forces a mini-break to get his nose in front 2-1 and opens up a two-point lead with an ace. Monfils pushes a forehand wide - no! He challenges, and it clipped the line. Waste from Monfils, that's the fourth double-fault of the tie-break. Monfils makes it 3-3 by spraying a forehand long and Hewitt dredges up a big first serve after the change of ends. The Aussie forces a mini-break, he was all over Monfils there like an angry hornet, finishing the point with a fizzing forehand pass. Monfils hits back with a clubbing first serve but hands Hewitt two set points with a hooked forehand that lands wide. Hewitt finds the net to make it 5-6 and Monfils saves a second set point, taking Hewitt wide with a languid, top-spin forehand and the Aussie finding the net. Monfils with a big first serve that Hewitt's not able to cope with and it's set point for the Frenchman. Bit tame that from Monfils, scooping a forehand long, but that's a second set point for Monfils as Hewitt puts a forehand wide. Monfils attacks the net on second serve but he's in alien territory up there and puts a volley wide. Monfils makes it 9-8 with an ace out wide but what a rally that was - Monfils looking to lure Hewitt into a mistake by just pushing it back, but Hewitt, like an aggravated terrier, eventually bites, fizzing a forehand winner down the line. Hewitt serving at 9-9 and he outlasts Monfils in another marathon, 25-shot rally, the Aussie hitting the sideline and the Frenchman flapping a forehand long. Hewitt takes the set! Monfils opens the door with a rather shallow backhand and Hewitt pounces, attacking the net and putting away a deft backhand volley.

*Monfils 3-6 6-6 Hewitt
Monfils finds the net with a sliced backhand on the run and Hewitt makes it 30-0 with a solid overhead. A first double from Hewitt before the Aussie leaves the door ajar with a tame backhand into the net. Tremendous shot from Hewitt, making up for an iffy approach with a scooped volley on the stretch and Monfils takes it to a tie-breaker with a sprayed forehand, long and wide.

Monfils 3-6 6-5 Hewitt*
Monfils looking pretty formidable on serve himself now and he's raced through that game, winning it to love - plenty of balls passing Hewitt egg-shaped, if you know what I mean...

*Monfils 3-6 5-5 Hewitt
Lots of big hats and visors on Centre and a fair few improvised fans. Peachy touch at the net from Hewitt, stretching and plopping over a backhand volley. Hewitt has won 96% of points on first serve now and he wraps up yet another straightforward hold with a rush to the net followed by a forehand volley.

Monfils 3-6 5-4 Hewitt*
Hewitt, like a cricket seamer, locates the edge of Monfils' racquet but the Frenchman hits back with another ace. But that's great scrambling from Hewitt, reeling off two points in a row, the second courtesy of a rasping forehand. Monfils sends down an ace at 138mph and holds with a rare volley at the net.

*Monfils 3-6 4-4 Hewitt
Hewitt wrong-foots Monfils with a cross-court backhand before the Frenchman finds the net. Hewitt with another wide one which Monfils is unable to deal with but Monfils does win a point, clamouring at the net and forcing Hewitt to tug a backhand wide. But that's another hold, Hewitt putting away a wrong-foting volley at the net.

Monfils 3-6 4-3 Hewitt*
Monfils still sending down howitzers and he sets up a forehand winner with another boomer. Hewitt shows that he's still got plenty of wheels, even at the grand old age of 29, leaving Monfils for dead with a little dink, but Monfils wins an exchange of sliced backhands to hold.

*Monfils 3-6 3-3 Hewitt
Monfils bunts a backhand long before Hewitt sends a wild forehand long. Better from Monfils, a bit more spring behind the baseline, and Hewitt yanks a forehand wide. Frustration from Monfils as he sprays a forehand long and Hewitt controls the next point and forces an error from Monfils on the backhand wing. Good point, with Monfils attempting the lob and Hewitt finishing the point with an overhead. Monfils flings a racquet at it on the turn, but to no avail. Boris liked that though...

Monfils 3-6 3-2 Hewitt*
Monfils being dismantled here and, I must add, outfought and out-passioned, if indeed that is a word. Three break points for Hewitt courtesy of some frantic bustling, although Monfils saves two of them. Better from Monfils, pulling out a couple of sure-fire arrows from his quiver, and he saves with another ace down the middle. Not much quit there from Monfils, but he's going to have to find something from somewhere on Hewitt's serve.

*Monfils 3-6 2-2 Hewitt
Monfils, like a man swimming against the tide, just not able to make any inroads into the Hewitt serve. The Aussie moves into a 30-0 lead and then a 40-0 lead with a straightforward forehand winner with Monfils stranded off the court. This isn't great body language from Monfils - like a boxer turning his back on a rampant opponent, the Frenchman started walking back to his mark before Hewitt had even finished the point.

Monfils 3-6 2-1 Hewitt*
Hewitt with some heart-breaking groundstrokes from behind the baseline and he moves into a 15-30 lead with a scuttle across court and a whipped forehand down the line. Monfils sends down back-to-back aces, make that three on the spin, to hold.

*Monfils 3-6 1-1 Hewitt
Hewitt wins a service challenge before punching a backhand winner down the line. Monfils, junior Wimbledon champion in 2004, struggling to get anything going at the moment and that's another easy service hold for Hewitt.

Anon via text to 81111: "It appears that Monfils is not looking to do much with the ball. He is so talented and I don't understand why he doesn't play smart tennis. His ball placements are awful as he only relies on his serve which might not always work. He is wasting his talent. Always plays the obvious shots to his opponents. Such a shame."

Monfils 3-6 1-0 Hewitt*
"If there's ever a fight in a bar, you want Hewitt in your corner," says Boris on the box, and I agree. Hewitt strikes me as the kind of man who'd demand his opponent strip to the waist before taking a pummelling in the car park. For all that, Monfils takes his opening service game of the second set pretty comfortably.

Boris Becker on BBC TV: "You can see how tough Hewitt is. He doesn't have the biggest of serves or the biggest of forehands but he has the heart and mind of a lion. If there is ever a fight in a bar you want him in your corner as he is not going to back off!"

*Monfils 3-6 Hewitt
Hewitt lures Monfils in before putting away the smash and Monfils goes long on the next point. Hewitt arches his back and tugs a forehand wide before Monfils wins a battle of the double-fisted backhands. Hewitt gets Monfils hopping and flailing with a big first serve that catches the frame and that's the set in 28 minutes, Hewitt zig-zagging towards the neck before putting away a forehand volley. Not one for the purists this, but there's plenty of Aussie 'dog' in evidence whenever Hewitt plays.

Monfils 3-5 Hewitt*
This pair last met at last year's Shanghai Masters, when Monfils won a second-round encounter in three sets. Hewitt's only win against the man from Nyon was way back in 2004, when Monfils would have been 17 or 18. Lovely, searching, deep approach from Hewitt makes it 0-30, the Frenchman starting to be pressured on his serve. Monfils challenges, but that first serves was well out, and Monfils is in big trouble now as he sends a backhand long. Three bites for Hewitt - Monfils with an ace out wide to save one break point but Monfils goes wide with a backhand on the next point. Bring out the Hewitt fist-pump, he's now serving for the set.

*Monfils 3-4 Hewitt
Monfils sends a backhand inches long before Hewitt gives Monfils the runaround to make it 40-0. Another hold to love, by my reckoning Hewitt has lost one point on serve...

Monfils 3-3 Hewitt*
Monfils with a booming ace straight down the middle to make it 30-0 and Hewitt puts a backhand into the net to make it 40-0. Fine backhand return from Hewitt and Monfils is taken by surprise and Hewitt pounces on another short one to make it 40-30. Not much in the way of aesthetics so far but Monfils changes all that with a dreamy backhand lob to hold.

*Monfils 2-3 Hewitt
Plenty of players losing their footing on Centre today and Monfils slips behind the baseline. Hewitt into a 40-0 lead with the minimum of fuss and he holds courtesy of a Monfils return that slides wide.

Monfils 2-2 Hewitt*
Standing 6ft 4in and slicker around the court than goose fat on linoleum, Monfils is an imposing physical specimen but he's only ever reached as far as the third round at Wimbledon before. Two big first serves from Monfils but he hands Hewitt a point with a forehand into the net. Hewitt hits the net cord and the ball falls his side of the court and Monfils finishes him off with another ace.

*Monfils 1-2 Hewitt
Hewitt, who trails Monfils 2-1 in head-to-heads, although they've never met on grass, races into a 40-0 lead on serve. Hewitt hooks a backhand wide to drop his first point on serve but finds a biggun on the next point to hold.

Monfils 1-1 Hewitt*
Classic, bustling start from the Australian and he finishes it off with an overhead. And that's tremendous from Hewitt, finishing off a marathon exchange with a backhand winner down the line. Monfils bags his first point of the match but then goes long with a backhand - two break points. Monfils saves the first with a forehand winner down the line and the second with a meaty second serve down the middle. Monfils into his rhythm now, sending down his first ace, but he blows his advantage with a ballooned forehand that lands miles long. Monfils wins the next point behind a big first serve before Hewitt finds the net and hands his opponent the game.

*Monfils 0-1 Hewitt
Hewitt, champion in 2002, to serve first. He races into a 30-0 lead and makes it 40-0 with his first ace. Not much resistance there from the Frenchman, an easy hold.
* denotes next server

1433: Lleyton Hewitt and Gael Monfils walk out on to a sun-drenched Centre Court for their third round match, not even time for a nerve-settling gasper. An interesting sub-plot to this match is that Monfils' coach Roger Rasheed was Hewitt's coach for three and a half years, before they had a bit of a falling out back in 2007. Hewitt in decent nick of later, however, beating Roger Federer to win the Halle title a couple of weeks back. Could be a real arm-wrestle this one...