Gael Monfils says his on-court acrobatics have left him injured but undeterred, after a point that saw him throwing himself to the hard court to retrieve a ball in his fourth-round match at the Australian Open.
The No. 23 seed defeated Andrey Kuznetsov, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (4), but dropped the second set following his spill. He had his fingers taped by the trainer and initially had difficulty hitting his forehand.
"I cannot even grip anything right now," Monfils said. "I have a deep cut. That's nothing. But I have a bruise. I'm lucky to do not have fracture."
But despite repeated injuries because of such displays, the Frenchman does not intend to change his all-or-nothing playing style.
"During the point, I feel that I can have it. So I just do it because I think I have the ability to do it," he said. "I know I can do it. That the only thing. People need to understand that if I dive, it's because I know I can dive."
Monfils will play Milos Raonic in the quarterfinals.