Rival's touch of class for stricken Aus Open star

The Australian Open has witnessed a lovely moment of sportsmanship on day one after French star Gael Monfils suffered a horrifying injury.

The French star’s tournament got off to a horror start after he suffered a nasty mishap in the very first game of his opening match.

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Playing against Bosnia’s Damir Dzumhur, Monfils was in obvious agony as his attempted forehand went horribly wrong.

The flashy Frenchman has had a torrid history with injuries, with his sliding style placing heavy strain on the 32-year-old’s body.

Fans expected the worst when he lay hobbled on the court after right foot buckled underneath him.

In a moment of class after the incident, Monfils’ rival raced over to attend to the stricken Frenchman, who managed to get to his feet and hobble on back into position.

Perhaps more shocking than the incident itself was the fact the Frenchman dusted off the nasty injury to decimate his opponent 6-0 in the opening set.

Monfils didn’t have it as easy in the second set, which he claimed 6-4.

However, the French veteran repeated his first set bagel to emphatically limp into the second round with a 6-0 6-4 6-0 win.