DAY 5 PREVIEW: Third round play on Thursday features 12 seeds, led by No. 2 Andy Murray, No. 3 Roger Federer, No. 4 Stan Wawrinka and No. 5 Rafael Nadal. There are also a tournament-high five Frenchmen remaining among the final 16 players. Wawrinka, who won the title two years ago, and eight-time champion Nadal, are the former winners left.

Watch Live Matches On TennisTV

In the first match on Court Rainier III, No. 16 seed Benoit Paire takes on Murray for the first time. Paire is trying to reach his second career ATP Masters 1000 QF (SF at 2013 Rome). The 26-year-old Frenchman has a 5-19 career record vs. Top 10 opponents and his last win came over No. 4 Wawrinka in Marseille in February. Murray, who reached the semi-finals here in 2009 and 2011 (l. to Nadal both times), is attempting to reach the QF for the first time since 2012. Murray has won his last 10 matches against Frenchmen since losing to Gilles Simon in Rotterdam QF in February 2015.

In the next match on, Nadal and No. 12 seed Dominic Thiem square off for the third time (tied 1-1). In the last meeting, the 22-year-old Austrian beat Nadal 64 46 76, saving one match pt., in the SF of Buenos Aires in February, en route to the title. Nadal’s win came in straight sets at Roland Garros two years ago. The Spaniard has a tournament-best 54-4 career record in Monte-Carlo with a tourney record eight straight titles from 2005 to 2012. Nadal comes in with a 13-6 match record on the season (5-2 on clay). He was a semi-finalist in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro. Thiem enters with a 26-6 match record on the season (10-1 on clay) and he’s won titles in Buenos Aires and Acapulco. He has a 3-12 career record vs. Top 10 opponents but he is 2-2 this season. He leads the ATP World Tour with a 12-0 mark in decisive-set matches this year.

In the third match on, Federer, brings a 4-0 career record (10-0 in sets) against No. 14 seed Roberto Bautista Agut. This is their first meeting on clay. Federer is competing in Monte-Carlo for the 13th time in his career and he’s playing in his first tournament since undergoing left knee surgery on February 3. The 34-year-old Swiss superstar, a four-time Monte-Carlo finalist (2006-08, 2014), has a 29-12 record in Monte-Carlo. The only other tournament he has played more than without winning the title is Rome (15 times). Bautista Agut comes in with a 20-6 match record on the season and he’s one of three players with at least 20 wins (Djokovic-28, Thiem-26). He is 5-25 lifetime vs. Top 10 opponents and he’s looking for his first win on clay (0-6) and vs. a Top 3 foe (0-9).

In the final match on, wild card Lucas Pouille faces countryman No. 8 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga for the first time. The 22-year-old Pouille upset French No. 2 Richard Gasquet on Wednesday for his second Top 10 win of the season (d. No. 8 Ferrer in Miami). Tsonga, who reached the SF here in 2013, has never appeared in an ATP World Tour clay court final.

On Court Des Princes, Bosnian qualifier Damir Dzumhur attempts to reach his first career ATP Masters 1000 QF as he takes on No. 10 seed Milos Raonic for the second time. Raonic is attempting to win his 20th match of the year (19-3). They met last month in the 4R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami with the Canadian winning 60 63. In the next match on, Wawrinka brings a 3-2 career advantage against No. 15 Gilles Simon. The Swiss has won both previous clay court meetings at Roland Garros in 2012 and last year. In the third match on, Jiri Vesely, who beat World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for his first career Top 10 win, squares off for the second time with No. 13 Gael Monfils. The 22-year-old Czech won the previous match in five sets at Wimbledon two years ago. In the final match on, No. 11 David Goffin attempts to reach his third straight ATP Masters 1000 QF as he plays Spanish lucky loser Marcel Granollers for the second time. The Belgian won the last meeting 64 64 in the 2R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami last month.

DAY 5 FEDEX ATP HEAD 2 HEADS – In Order of Play by Court

Paire 2016 FastFacts:
SF (2): Chennai (l Wawrinka), Marseille (l Cilic)
YTD W-L: 9-10 (2-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: May 8, 1989
Emirates ATP Ranking: 22
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 4-3 (3R-2016)

• The 26-year-old Frenchman is making his fourth main draw appearance (4-3 record) and appearing in 3R for first time after wins over Inigo Cervantes 46 62 76(6), saving 1 MP and Joao Sousa 64 63. His previous best was 2R twice: in 2013 (l. to No. 9 Gasquet) and as qualifier last year (l. to Simon)
• Trying to reach 2nd career ATP Masters 1000 QF (SF at 2013 Rome)
• Advanced to SFs at Chennai (l. to No. 4 Wawrinka) and Marseille (d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Cilic). Coming into Monte-Carlo, had 1-4 record after Marseille with opening match defeats at Sao Paulo, ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells and Houston; reached ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R (1R d. Youzhny, l. to No. 10 Gasquet)
• Achieved career-high No. 18 in Emirates ATP Rankings on January 11
• Upset in Australian Open 1R by No. 328 Rubin 76(4) 76(6) 76(5)
• Reached Chennai doubles final with 1st-time partner Krajicek (l. to Marach/Martin)
• Has 5-19 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (1-2 this year, d. No. 4 Wawrinka in Marseille QF). Has 0-3 mark vs. Top 2 foes

Murray 2016 FastFacts:
F: Australian Open (l Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 11-3 (1-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 35
Date of Birth: May 15, 1987
Emirates ATP Ranking: 2
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 12-7 (SF-2009, ’11)

• The 28-year-old Briton opened on Tuesday with a 62 46 63 win over French qualifier Pierre-Hugues Herbert. Trying to advance to QF for first time since 2012 and fourth overall in eighth appearance in Monte-Carlo, where he has twice reached SF (2009 & 2011, l. both times to eventual champion Nadal)
• Fell to 0-5 in Australian Open finals with 4th championship match loss to No. 1 Djokovic
• With brother Jamie, became 1st brothers in Open Era to reach singles & doubles finals at same major
• Improved to 20-7 in 5-setters with wins over Raonic in Aus. Open SF and No. 6 Nishikori in D. Cup 1R
• Extended Davis Cup win streak to 14 matches with 3 victories to lead Great Britain past Japan 3-1
• Advanced to ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R (d. Granollers, l. to Delbonis 76 in 3rd) and ATP Masters 1000 Miami 3R (d. Istomin, l. to Dimitrov in 3 sets)

[5] Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs [12] Dominic Thiem (AUT) Series Tied 1-1
14 Roland Garros (France) Clay R64 Rafael Nadal 6-2 6-2 6-3
16 Buenos Aires (Argentina) Clay SF Dominic Thiem 6-4 4-6 7-6(4)

Nadal 2016 FastFacts
F: Doha (l. to Djokovic); SF (3): Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem); Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas); ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Djokovic)

YTD W-L: 13-6 (5-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 67
Date of Birth: June 3, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 5
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 54-4 (2005-12 Champion)

• The 29-year-old Spaniard is making his 13th appearance at the Monte-Carlo Country Club and opened on Tuesday with a 63 63 win over Aljaz Bedene. Has won a tournament-record eight titles (2005 d. Coria, 2006-08 d. Federer, 2009 d. Djokovic, 2010 d. Verdasco, 2011 d. Ferrer, 2012 d. Djokovic)
• Won 46 consecutive matches in Monte-Carlo before defeat in 2013 final (l. to Djokovic). Reached QF in 2014 (l. to No. 6 Ferrer) and SF last year (l. to No. 1/champion Djokovic)
• Reached 99th career final to start season in Doha (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Lost to eventual champions in three consecutive SFs at Buenos Aires (l. to Thiem after holding 1 MP), Rio de Janeiro (l. to Cuevas) and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Retired 2R (after bye) at ATP Masters 1000 Miami with dizziness while trailing Dzumhur 26 64 3-0, first retirement since 2010 Australian Open QF vs Murray, a stretch of 442 matches (370-72)
• Suffered 2nd Grand Slam 1R loss of career at Australian Open vs. Verdasco in 4h41m, 5-set marathon

Thiem 2016 FastFacts:
W (2): Buenos Aires (d Almagro), Acapulco (d Tomic); SF (2): Brisbane (l Federer), Rio de Janeiro (l Pella)
YTD W-L: 26-6 (10-1 on clay)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: September 3, 1993
Emirates ATP Ranking: 14
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 2-2 (3R-2016)

• The 22-year-old Austrian is making his third straight tournament appearance and into 3R for first time after wins over qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 16 63 64 and qualifier Taro Daniel 46 62 60. Lost in 1R previous two years (2014 l. 1R to Mahut, 2015 l. 1R to Pouille)
• Captured 5th career title — 1st ATP World Tour 500 – by beating Tomic in Acapulco final
• Rose to career-high No. 13 in Emirates ATP Rankings on March 7 (second-youngest in Top 20)
• Second on ATP World Tour this season in match wins with 26 (26-6 record; trails Djokovic 28-2)
• Saved 1 MP in Buenos Aires 2R (d. Elias) and SF (d. No. 5 Nadal 76 in 3rd) en route to title (d. Almagro 76 in 3rd). Win over Nadal snapped 8-match losing streak vs. Top 10. Also beat No. 6 Ferrer in Rio de Janeiro QF
• Reached Australian Open 3R (l. to Goffin), Indian Wells 4R (l. to No. 9 Tsonga, 1st Masters 4R of career) and Miami 4R (l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Earned 1st 3 Davis Cup victories of career to lead Austria to 4-1 win over Portugal in Europe/Africa Zone Group I, beating Elias 76 in 5th, rallying from 2 sets w/Peya to defeat Elias/Sousa, and clinching tie over Sousa
• Has a 3-12 career record vs. Top 10 opponents (2-2 this season, 1-10 prior to 2016)

[3] Roger Federer (SUI) vs [14] Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) Federer Leads 4-0
14 US Open (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Roger Federer 6-4 6-3 6-2
14 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard R16 Roger Federer 6-4 6-2
15 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R16 Roger Federer 6-2 6-2 6-3
15 ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Roger Federer 6-4 6-4

Federer 2016 FastFacts:
F: Brisbane (l Raonic); SF: Australian Open (l Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 9-2 (1-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 88
Date of Birth: August 8, 1981
Emirates ATP Ranking: 3
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 29-12 (Finalist-2006, ’07, ’08, ’14)

• The 34-year-old Swiss is making his 13th appearance at the Monte-Carlo Country Club (29-12 record) and opened on Tuesday with a 63 64 win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez. Has reached final four times (2006-08, l. to Nadal, 2014 l. to Wawrinka), last year reached 3R (l. to Monfils)
• Playing first tournament since left meniscus tear on January 29 and successful arthroscopic knee surgery on February 3
• Withdrew from Rotterdam, Dubai and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells following knee surgery; pulled out of ATP Masters 1000 Miami with gastroenteritis
• Advanced to 12th Australian Open SF (d. No. 6 Berdych, l. to No. 1 Djokovic)
• Earned record-extending 300th Grand Slam win of career in Australian Open 3R on Jan. 22 (d. Dimitrov)
• Started season by beating Thiem en route to Brisbane final rematch vs. Raonic, which he lost 64 64

Bautista Agut 2016 FastFacts:
W (2): Auckland (d Sock), Sofia (d Troicki); QF (3): Chennai (l Coric), Rotterdam (l Klizan), Dubai (l Baghdatis)
YTD W-L: 20-6 (2-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: April 14, 1988
Emirates ATP Ranking: 17
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 6-3 (3R-2015-16)

• The 27-year-old Spaniard is making his fourth appearance and returns to 3R for second straight year after wins over countryman Ramos-Vinolas 64 76(4) on Monday and Chardy 63 57 75 on Wednesday. Last year reached 3R (l. to No. 8 Berdych)
• Trying to reach second career ATP Masters 1000 QF (SF at 2014 Madrid)
• One of three players on ATP World Tour this season with at least 20 match wins: Djokovic (28), Thiem (26). Last year won his 20th and 21st matches at Wimbledon
• Captured 3rd and 4th titles respectively at Auckland (d. Sock) and Sofia (d. Troicki)
• Saved 1 MP to beat No. 10 Tsonga in Auckland SF, snapping 17-match losing streak to Top 10 opponents. Has a 5-25 career record vs. Top 10 (0-6 on clay and 0-9 vs. Top 3)
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 2nd time (d. Cilic, l. to No. 6 Berdych in 5 sets)
• Reached QFs at Chennai (l. to Coric 76 in 3rd), Rotterdam (l. to Klizan after holding 5 MPs) and Dubai (l. to Baghdatis)
• Fell to countryman Lopez 76(5) 67(1) 64 after 3h, 16m at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R before reaching 4R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (3R d. No. 9 Tsonga, l. to No. 6 Nishikori)

[WC] Lucas Pouille (FRA) vs [8] Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) First Meeting

Pouille 2016 FastFacts:
QF: Brisbane (l Raonic)
YTD W-L: 7-6 (2-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: February 23, 1994
Emirates ATP Ranking: 82
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 3-1 (3R-2016)

• The 22-year-old Frenchman is appearing in 3R for first time after wins over countrymen Mahut 76(1) 63 in 1R and No. 9 seed/No. 10-ranked Gasquet 46 75 61 in 2R. Last year reached 2R on debut (d. Thiem, l. to No. 5 Nadal)
• Advanced to 5th ATP World Tour singles QF at Brisbane (d. Goffin, l. to Raonic)
• Reached 1st doubles SF of career at Australian Open w/Mannarino (d. Bolelli/Fognini and Rojer/Tecau, l. to J. Murray/Soares)
• Has a 2-0 record vs. Top 10 opponents this season (2-2 in career). Reached 4R at ATP Masters 1000 event for first time in Miami (d. No. 8 Ferrer, l. to Simon)
• Fell to 0-3 lifetime at Australian Open with 1R loss to Raonic
• Qualified at Dubai (l. to Pospisil in 1R)

Tsonga 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Auckland (l Bautista Agut); QF (2): Buenos Aires (l Almagro); ATP World Tour Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic)
YTD W-L: 12-6 (3-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: April 17, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 9
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 12-6 (SF-2013)

• The 30-year-old Frenchman is making his seventh tournament appearance and opened on Tuesday with a 76 76 win over Carreno Busta. Reached SF in 2013 (l. to Nadal) and QF in 2012, 2014. Last year reached 3R (l. to No. 10 Cilic)
• Reached 2nd week of Australian Open for 7th time (l. to No. 7 Nishikori in 4R)
• Clinched France’s Davis Cup 1R win over Canada in doubles w/Gasquet (d. Bester/Pospisil)
• Squandered 1 MP in Auckland SF loss to eventual champion Bautista Agut
• Reached QF at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to champion Djokovic) and 3R at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Bautista Agut)
• Fell to World No. 338 Monteiro in Rio de Janeiro 1R – worst loss by ranking for a Top 10 player since No. 388 Olivetti beat No. 8 Fish at 2012 Marseille
• Has never reached an ATP World Tour clay court final in his career (12-10 record in finals)

COURT DES PRINCES

[Q] Damir Dzumhur (BIH) vs [10] Milos Raonic (CAN) Raonic Leads 1-0
16 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R16 Milos Raonic 6-0 6-3

Dzumhur 2016 FastFacts:
YTD W-L: 10-8 (2-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 0
Date of Birth: May 20, 1992
Emirates ATP Ranking: 99
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 2-0 (3R – 2016)

• The 23-year-old Bosnian qualifier, the lowest-ranked player in 3R, made his main draw debut with a 62 60 win over Haase in 1R and followed with a 64 67 63 win over No. 6 seed/last year’s finalist Berdych
• Owns 2-5 record against Top 10 players (2-1 in 2016); beat No. 5 Nadal in ATP Masters 1000 Miami 2R when Spaniard retired trailing 26 64 3-0
• Lost in 2R at 1st 5 main draws of 2016 season: Doha, Australian Open, Sofia, Memphis and Delray Beach
• Avenged Memphis 2R loss by beating Berankis in Delray Beach 1R (l. to Dimitrov in 2R)
• Followed 1R losses at Acapulco (l. to champion Thiem) and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Granollers) by advancing to ATP Masters 1000 Miami 4R (d. No. 5 Nadal, l. to Raonic), a career-best run at a Masters 1000 event
• Rallied from 2 sets to 1 down to defeat Edmund in Australian Open 1R (l. to Goffin in 2R)

Raonic 2016 FastFacts:
W: Brisbane (d Federer); F: ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Djokovic); SF: Australian Open (l Murray); QF: ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l Kyrgios)
YTD W-L: 19-3 (2-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 1 / Career Titles: 8
Date of Birth: December 27, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 12
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 9-5 (QF 2014-15)

• The 25-year-old Canadian, a Monte-Carlo resident, is making his sixth tournament appearance and looking to reach QF for third straight year: (2014 l. to champion Wawrinka, 2015 l. to No. 8 Berdych). Opened Monday with a 63 75 win over wild card Cecchinato in 1R and followed with 75 26 76 win over Cuevas in 2R on Wednesday. Has 9-2 record in tie-breaks this season
• Won 1st 9 matches of 2016 season, highlighted by 8th career title at Brisbane (d. No. 3 Federer). Win over Federer avenged loss to Swiss in 2015 Brisbane final
• Upset No. 4 Wawrinka in 5 sets en route to 2nd Grand Slam SF at Australian Open (l. to No. 2 Murray in 5 sets)
• Withdrew from Delray Beach, Acapulco and Davis Cup 1R due to muscular tear sustained in Australian Open SF
• Returned to reached ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells final (l. to Djokovic) and ATP Masters 1000 Miami QF (l. to Kyrgios)

[15] Gilles Simon (FRA) vs [4] Stan Wawrinka (SUI) Wawrinka Leads 3-2
10 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard R64 Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-1
12 ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (U.S.A.) Hard R32 Gilles Simon 6-4 6-4
12 Roland Garros (France) Clay R32 Stan Wawrinka 7-5 6-7(5) 6-7(3) 6-3 6-2
14 ATP Masters 1000 Shanghai (China) Hard R32 Gilles Simon 5-7 7-5 6-4
15 Roland Garros (France) Clay R16 Stan Wawrinka 6-1 6-4 6-2

Other meeting:
03 France F2 (France) Clay R32 Stan Wawrinka 6-4 6-4

Simon 2016 FastFacts:
QF: ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l Goffin)
YTD W-L: 11-7 (3-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 12
Date of Birth: December 27, 1984
Emirates ATP Ranking: 19
Monte Carlo W-L (Best Result): 12-9 (SF-2012)

• The 31-year-old Nice native is making his 10th main-draw appearance at Monte Carlo (12-9 record); reached SF in 2012 (3R d. No. 8 Tipsarevic, QF d. No. 5 Tsonga, SF l. to No. 2 Nadal). Last year fell in 3R (l. to No. 7 Ferrer). Opened Sunday with a 63 64 win over Troicki in 1R and followed with 64 63 win over Dimitrov. One of a tournament-high five Frenchmen remaining in 3R
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 3rd time (d. Donskoy in 5 sets, l. to No. 1 Djokovic in 5 sets); pushed Djokovic to 100 unforced errors over 4 hours, 32 minutes
• Helped France to 5-0 sweep of Canada in Davis Cup 1R with straight-set win over Pospisil
• As defending champion, held 3 MPs vs. Gabashvili in Marseille 1R before losing 76 in 3rd
• Reached QF at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Goffin), best run at ATP Masters 1000 event since Shanghai 2014 (F, l. to Federer)
• Has a 29-69 career record vs. Top 10 opponents and looking to snap five-match losing streak since beating No. 6 Berdych at Wimbledon 4R last year. Has lost last 10 on clay vs. Top 10 since defeating No. 5 Tsonga at 2012 Monte-Carlo QF

Wawrinka 2016 FastFacts
W (2): Chennai (d. Coric); Dubai (d. Baghdatis); QF: Marseille (l. to Paire)
YTD W-L: 16-4 (1-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 2 / Career Titles: 13
Date of Birth: March 28, 1985
Emirates ATP Ranking: 4
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 18-7 (2014 Champion)

• The 31-year-old Swiss is making his ninth tournament appearance and opened on Wednesday with 76 75 win over Kohlschreiber. Captured first ATP Masters 1000 title here in 2014 (d. No. 4 Federer). Reached 3R last year (l. to Dimitrov)
• On a 9-match win streak in finals after beating Baghdatis to win ATP World Tour 500 event in Dubai
• Captured 3rd straight Chennai title (d. Coric), increasing streaks at event to 12 matches and 24 sets
• Enjoyed 400th career win in Australian Open 3R (d. Rosol) before falling in 4R (l. to Raonic in 5 sets)
• Advanced to 2nd week of Australian Open for 4th straight season
• Appeared in 44 consecutive Grand Slam main draws since making major debut at 2005 Roland Garros
• Saved 2 MPs to beat Stakhovsky 64 46 76(8) in Marseille 2R and came within 2 points of losing to Stakhovsky in Dubai 1R before earning 57 63 75 win
• Reached 4R at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Goffin), then lost opening match at ATP Masters 1000 Miami (2R l. to Kuznetsov)

Jiri Vesely (CZE) vs [13] Gael Monfils (FRA) Vesely Leads 1-0
14 Wimbledon (Great Britain) Grass R64 Jiri Vesely 7-6(3) 6-3 6-7(1) 6-7(3) 6-4

Vesely 2016 FastFacts:
SF: Marrakech (l Coric)
YTD W-L: 6-8 (5-1 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 1
Date of Birth: July 10, 1993
Emirates ATP Ranking: 55
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 2-1 (3R – 2016)

• The 22-year-old Czech is appearing in 3R for first time after wins over Gabashvili 36 75 75 and World No. 1 Djokovic 64 26 64 (first career Top 10 win, 1-8). He is making his second main draw appearance after 1R exit last year (l. to Monaco)
• Became first player outside Top 50 to beat Djokovic since No. 74 Xavier Malisse at Queen’s Club in June 2010. Also first Czech to beat a No. 1 since Berdych beat Djokovic at 2013 Rome QF
• Trying to reach first career ATP Masters 1000 QF (6-11 match record)
• Posted only 1 singles win in 1st 3 months of season (1-7 start), beating countryman Rosol in Rotterdam 1R before SF run at Marrakech last week (l. to Coric)
• As defending champion, lost to eventual champion Bautista Agut in Auckland 1R
• Fell to 0-3 lifetime at Australian Open with 5-set loss to Olivo in 1R

Monfils 2016 FastFacts:
F: Rotterdam (l Klizan); QF (3): Australian Open (l Raonic), ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Raonic), ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l Nishikori)
YTD W-L: 17-5 (3-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 5
Date of Birth: September 1, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 16
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 10-9 (SF-2015)

• The 29-year-old Paris native is making his 10th appearance in Monte Carlo (10-9 record) a year after posting his career-best run to SF (l. to Berdych). Opened with 75 60 win over Muller in 1R and followed with 62 64 victory over Lorenzi in 2R on Wednesday
• Advanced to 1st Australian Open QF in 11th appearance (l. to Raonic)
• Reached back-to-back QFs at ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l. to Raonic) and ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l. to Nishikori)
• Fell to 5-18 in ATP World Tour finals with loss to Klizan in Rotterdam championship match
• Won 8th straight Davis Cup match to open France’s 5-0 sweep of Canada in 1R (d. Dancevic)
• Withdrew from Marseille due to right leg injury

[11] David Goffin (BEL) vs [LL] Marcel Granollers (ESP) Goffin Leads 1-0
16 ATP Masters 1000 Miami (U.S.A.) Hard R64 David Goffin 6-4 6-4

Goffin 2016 FastFacts:
SF (2): ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (l Raonic), ATP Masters 1000 Miami (l Djokovic); QF: Marseille (l Berdych)
YTD W-L: 18-6 (4-0 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 2
Date of Birth: December 7, 1990
Emirates ATP Ranking: 13
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 3-3 (3R – 2016)

• The 25-year-old Belgian is making his fourth appearance (3-3 record) and into 3R for first time after wins over Spanish left-handers Lopez 75 60 in 1R and Verdasco 76 26 76 in 2R, saving 1 MP. Previous best result 2R last year (l. to Tsonga)
• Owns a 6-0 record against left-handers in 2016 (24-11 career); wins this season over Bellucci (Brisbane 1R), M. Zverev (Marseille 2R), Pella (ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells 3R) and Zeballos (ATP Masters 1000 Miami 4R) along with two this week
• Advanced to Australian Open 4R for 1st time (d. Thiem, l. to No. 3 Federer)
• Defeated Coric and Cilic, but lost doubles w/Bemelmans to Dodig/Skugor during Davis Cup 1R (CRO d. BEL 3-2)
• Reached Marseille QF (l. to No. 8 Berdych)
• Advanced to SFs at ATP Masters 1000 events at Indian Wells (first of career; 4R d. No. 4 Wawrinka, l. to Raonic) and Miami (l. to champion/No. 1 Djokovic). Has a 10-2 record in ATP Masters 1000 play
• Win over Wawrinka at Indian Wells ended 14-match losing streak against Top-10 foes (2-26 overall)

Granollers 2016 FastFacts
YTD W-L: 5-8 (1-2 on clay)
YTD Titles: 0 / Career Titles: 4
Date of Birth: April 12, 1986
Emirates ATP Ranking: 67
Monte-Carlo W-L (Best Result): 4-7 (3R – 2016)

• The Spaniard celebrated his 30th birthday on Tuesday and he is making his eighth main-draw appearance (4-7 record) and into 3R for first time after win over Alexander Zverev 64 46 63 on Wednesday. As a lucky loser; fell in Q2 to Gimeno-Traver before replacing No. 6 seed Ferrer (calf injury)
• Trying to reach his third career ATP Masters 1000 QF, first since 2013 Rome (also QF in ‘12 Toronto)
• Started season 3-7 in singles, with wins at Australian Open (d. No. 106 Ebden), Memphis (d. No. 120 Jaziri) and ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells (d. No. 93 Dzumhur)
• Fell to 0-6 lifetime in Australian Open 2R matches with loss to No. 11 Isner
• Reached Canberra, AUS Challenger SF (d. Halys, l. to Lorenzi)
• In doubles, advanced to Australian Open SF w/Cuevas (d. Dodig/Melo and Pospisil/Sock, l. to Nestor/Stepanek)

Tommy Haas has some good news and some bad news for his fans.

The bad news: The former World No. 2, who’s had eight operations throughout his 20-year career, underwent his ninth surgery. The good news: He’s already planning another comeback.

Haas had a torn ligament and a ligament-like structure on his right foot repaired at the Carolinas Medical Center Mercy Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, he said. The injury, which is near the second toe of his right foot, started bothering him in October while he was practising for the Shanghai Rolex Masters, an ATP World World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.

During his first-round match against Kevin Anderson, the pain only grew worse. The German could barely push off his right foot and struggled to dart side to side. “I started feeling severe pain,” Haas said by phone from his hospital bed.

About a week later, at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, he felt more of the same during a three-set loss to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Doctors advised him to rest, hypothesizing the pain stemmed from a slight fracture. But the aches infiltrated Haas’ daily life, inflicting him when he jogged or even walked. So Haas, who lives in the U.S., opted for surgery with Dr. Robert Anderson with OrthCarolina.

“I knew that even if I wasn’t playing professional tennis anymore, I would probably have to get (the surgery) done,” Haas said.

His recovery will be at least six months, he said, which, under ideal circumstances, places him back on court in October. But the 38 year old also said he might wait until 2017 to comeback.

The rehabilitation will be nothing new for Haas. His eight surgeries have touched most parts of his body, including his shoulders, rotator cuffs, elbows, hips, ankles and now feet. “That’s the way it is, and now I just have to let the healing process take place,” he said.

Haas, who’s won 15 ATP World Tour titles, wants to leave tennis on his terms. Next year, he’d like to create new memories with his 6-year-old daughter, Valentina, and bring her along as he plays his favorite tournaments, including the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, one final time.

“I know that there’s a chance that I might not come back from this,” Haas said. “I know it will be a very, very hard task, but there’s no doubt in my mind I’m certainly going to try.”

Even local wildlife have been clamoring for a seat at this week’s ATP Challenger Tour event in Sarasota.

During Tuesday’s first-round match between Gonzalo Lama and James Ward, a snake made its way onto the court just as Lama had reached match point. The surprise visitor prompted an unprecedented “snake delay” as a tournament volunteer rushed to shoo the snake away. The intrepid volunteer attempted to pick up the snake with his bare hands, but abandoned the brazen act when it hissed and snapped back. But luckily, the snake eventually slithered down to a bush behind the court.

Lama quickly returned to business after the delay, unleashing a final point of venomous hitting to move into the second round, 6-1, 6-1.

Rohan Bopanna and Florin Mergea downed Robert Lindstedt and Alexander Peya 7-5, 7-5 to advance to the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Wednesday. The sixth seeds broke serve four time (4/16) and fired four aces in the 87-minute win. They will next face fourth seeds Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares.

John Peers and Henri Kontinen cruised 6-3, 6-2 against Raven Klaasen and Rajeev Ram, securing a spot in the second round in 51 minutes. The unseeded duo saved both break points faced and are looking for a second team title after winning their debut in Brisbane in January.

Watch Live Matches On TennisTV.com

“Today’s match was very good,” said Peers. “Henri and I have been putting in a lot of hard work so it’s nice to have it pay off. We have been close in so many matches lately and it’s not gone our way, so it’s very rewarding that this one did. It’s really nice being back on the clay and in the sunshine.”

Seventh seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Nenad Zimonjic were eliminated by Brits Dominic Inglot and Andy Murray 2-6, 6-3, 10-5. Inglot/Murray move into the quarter-finals despite winning one fewer point (54-55) than their opponents.

The eighth-seeded Polish team formed by Lukasz Kubot and Marcin Matkowski was knocked out by Treat Huey and Max Mirnyi. Huey/Mirnyi won all but three second-serve points (13/16) and only faced one break point in the 65-minute encounter.

“It’s the dream of every single player to beat a World No. 1,” Jiri Vesely said after downing Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Wednesday. “For me, it’s definitely a dream come true.

“When I went on court, I was hoping to win a game or to do well. But I really had no idea that I really would be able to beat Novak today. I still can’t believe it happened.”

For the Czech left-hander, who held the World No. 1 rank as a junior, the win over Djokovic was a pleasant surprise considering his disappointing early season results.

“I’ve struggled the last few months,” noted Vesely, who did not manage to win consecutive matches in 2016 until he reached the semi-finals in Marrakech last week (l. to Coric). Adversity was never far away once Vesely arrived in Monte-Carlo. In his opening match, the 22 year old found himself on the brink of elimination before rallying against Teimuraz Gabashvili for a 7-5 deciding-set win.

Watch Live Matches On TennisTV.com

“I was actually 3-6, 3-5 down. It could have gone badly yesterday and nothing would have happened today. I’m just amazing happy about the way I fought today and the way I finished the match.”

The experience proved helpful to Vesely, No. 55 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, on Wednesday. After seeing Djokovic even the match at one set-all, he took the time to refocus before holding on for the biggest win of his career. “I had completely lost my concentration [after the second set]. Novak stopped missing and I made a lot of easy mistakes.

“I said to myself: ‘Okay, now you really have work for every single ball because otherwise it’s going to end badly.’ It definitely helped me when I broke him for 1-0.”

With the lead secured, Vesely swung freely and mustered his best shots of the match.

“[Serving at 5-4] was definitely a special game. After he won the first point, I knew I had to win the next one, or I’d be in trouble at 0-30. I played a drop shot after a long rally. It was probably the only shot I could have played.

“My serve helped me get to 30-15. Then I just told myself to go for it and to enjoy the moment.”

Novak Djokovic’s earliest loss at an ATP World Tour tournament in three years left him disappointed on Wednesday. But the Serbian also had to nod to Czech Jiri Vesely, who earned the biggest win of his career by knocking off the two-time Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters champion.

“He played very solid. He was serving very big. He was playing tactically good and aggressive,” Djokovic said. “When he was a break up in the third set, he was playing bravely. He was coming in, (hitting) drop shots, big serves. He was going for it. He deserved to have it.”

Vesely controlled his nerves again and again down the stretch in his 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win against Djokovic, who was seeking to win the year’s first three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles for the second consecutive year. The left-hander served well, winning 66 per cent of his service points. He also broke Djokovic three times and advanced despite winning an equal number of points as Djokovic – 84.

“I have to congratulate the better player today on the court and just move on from there,” Djokovic said. “It is what it is. Sometimes you don’t play your best and you lose.”

The Serb, who lives in Monte-Carlo, said he’d been especially looking forward to the tournament because he gets to sleep in his own bed and spend more time with his family during the week. “I love playing the Monte-Carlo tournament,” he said. “I practise here in these courts. I live here for the last eight, nine years… But in sport you’ve got to accept it.”

The 28 year old will now experience a rare respite from tennis. Since the beginning of the year, Djokovic said, he’s had only two days off. In the meantime, he’s compiled a 28-2 record and won four titles: the Qatar ExxonMobil Open, Australian Open, BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open presented by Itau.

“It’s been a tough four or five months,” Djokovic said. “It’s going to be rest. Complete rest. I’m really looking forward to that.”

Djokovic is scheduled to play next at the Mutua Madrid Open, which starts May 1. “I’ve had an incredible start of the season. This match today will not disturb my preparation for the rest of the season and what’s coming up. I’m still confident. I’m still feeling I’m playing the best tennis of my life,” he said. “I’ll just rest, because sometimes that’s what is needed, then get back on the practice courts, adjust to this surface that is completely different from any other, and hopefully I’ll be better in the next tournament.”