Hubert Hurkacz not only reached the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals on Thursday with a 7-6(2), 6-2 win against 2017 finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas, but he also entered the season of opportunity.

From this week through the week of 20 June — a span of 11 weeks — the Polish star is defending just 188 ATP Rankings points. Nobody ranked ahead of the World No. 14 is defending fewer than 300 points during the same stretch.

By advancing to the last eight in Monte Carlo, Hurkacz has already earned 180 points for this tournament alone. With his strong run in the Principality — which will continue on Friday against former World No. 3 Grigor Dimitrov — Hurkacz has already covered 96 per cent of the points he is defending for the next two-and-a-half months.

Hurkacz’s Upcoming Points To Defend

Hurkacz can still gain another 820 points in Monte Carlo, and he is competing in the ATP 500 in Barcelona before ATP Masters 1000 events in Madrid and Rome and the season’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros. With such a wealth of points up for grabs, the Pole has a chance to make a big move.

One year ago, he claimed just one win during his clay-court season and the two grass-court tournaments he played before Wimbledon. This year, he is off to a much better start for this stretch with victories against three clay-court standouts in Monaco: Hugo Dellien, Pedro Martinez and Ramos-Vinolas.

At Wimbledon, Hurkacz will defend 720 points because he reached the semi-finals at SW19 last year. But until then, plenty of opportunity awaits.

Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury did not face a break point in their Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters opener until the last two points of the match.

Facing Ariel Behar and Gonzalo Escobar Friday on Court Des Princes, the American-British duo saved them both to close out a 6-2, 6-3 victory. The second break chance came in a deciding point that doubled as match point, and the top seeds took the opportunity to slam the door shut on any last-ditch comeback attempt.

Ram and Salisbury are through to their third straight ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, with last-four runs at the Australian Open and Indian Wells the best results of the 2022 season for the pair.

The last ATP Masters 1000 event in which they failed to register a win was in Paris last November, when they fell to Michael Venus and Tim Puetz. The Australian-German pairing awaits in Friday’s quarter-finals after it notched 4-6, 6-6, 10-4 win over Aslan Karatsev and John Peers on Wednesday.

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In the only other completed doubles match on Thursday, Rohan Bopanna and Jamie Murray edged Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda, 6-4, 6-7(9), 10-7. Fritz had previously beaten his American teammate in the Monte Carlo singles draw to open the day’s play.

Third seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos also advanced to the quarter-finals, courtesy of a walkover against Daniel Evans and Diego Schwartzman, with the Argentine withdrawing due to fatigue following a three-set singles win over Lorenzo Musetti.

In a Thursday matchup of two of the in-form players of the 2022 ATP Tour season, Jannik Sinner engineered an inspired turnaround against Andrey Rublev to reach the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals for the first time, much to the delight of the Monaco crowd.

“It is for me very, very special playing here,” Sinner said of the electric atmosphere on Court Rainier III. “Obviously many, many Italians [in the] crowd. It’s incredible.”

With a 5-7, 6-1, 6-3 victory, Sinner improves to 19-3 on the year while 2021 Monte Carlo finalist Rublev drops to 19-5. The Italian has now reached the last eight at consecutive ATP Masters 1000 events following his Miami run in March.

After being forced to retire with a foot blister in his Miami quarter-final against Francisco Cerundolo, Sinner received a medical timeout early in the second set to have his right toe re-dressed. But he was able to overcome any discomfort to score what finished as a convincing win to close the day’s play in Monaco.

“I know blisters now quite well,” he said post-match, looking ahead to his quarter-final showdown with second seed Alexander Zverev. “I don’t think it’s a concern. We have to treat it a little bit, obviously, but let’s see… Tomorrow is an important match.”

Both Sinner and Rublev showed great attacking intent throughout, punishing short balls with no mercy, but the Italian’s defense and retrieving frustrated his opponent more and more as the match wore on.

After seeming to struggle with his movement late in the opening set, Sinner showed no signs of slowing down after taking the initiative in the second. He looked in real danger after dropping serve in the opening game of set two — a repeat of his start to the match — but found a new level to dominate the match, finishing with 35 winners. 

“It was tough. I tried to play every point,” Sinner assessed. “I know him quite well. He plays quite a lot with the forehand. I tried to move him a little bit.”

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After winning six straight games to take the second, including a run of nine points in a row, Sinner edged in front twice in the decider. His second break of the set put him in the lead for good, and his seventh break of the match closed out the victory after two hours and 20 minutes.

Sinner, a Miami quarter-finalist each of the last two years, is through to his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final on clay. He has already reached a pair of Grand Slam quarter-finals in his young career, at Roland Garros in 2020 and in January at the Australian Open.

For Juan Carlos Ferrero, the seaside setting at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is something unique.

“The atmosphere around the courts is beautiful,” Ferrero recently told ATP Uncovered. “You can see the sea all the time and there’s very few tournaments in the year where you have that chance, so it’s one of my favourite tournaments of all time.”

The 2003 Roland Garros champion enjoys equally happy on-court memories from the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Monte Carlo Country Club. The Spaniard clinched back-to-back titles there in 2002 and 2003, the second of which contributed to his rise to No. 1 in the ATP Rankings in September 2003.

The calibre of opponent Ferrero overcame in both finals made the achievement even more impressive. “It was very special for me to win those titles because I won against two very difficult opponents on clay,” he said.

Ferrero may have already clinched his maiden Masters 1000 title in 2001 at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, but his 2002 final opponent in Monte Carlo could hardly have been tougher. The 1998 champion Carlos Moya had taken out top seed Lleyton Hewitt as well as Marat Safin to earn his spot in the championship match.

Yet a long-haul battle on the red dirt was Ferrero’s bread and butter, and a 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory brought him a second Masters 1000 title in style. “[It was] best of five [sets], of course, and a little bit windy,” Ferrero said. “It was very hot. I was used to playing under these kinds of conditions.”

There were no such favours from the weather a year later. After battling past top dirtballers Felix Mantilla, Gaston Gaudio and Alberto Martin on his way to a final clash with Guillermo Coria, Ferrero had to prove his adaptability in order to defend his title.

“I remember it was rain-delayed, because it was a very dark day,” Ferrero said of the championship match. “They made the final best of three because of the weather.”

The change of conditions and format had no bearing on the outcome, however, as Ferrero reigned supreme once again in the Principality with a dominant 6-2 6-2 win.

“It was an unbelievable match for me because it was no mistakes and a lot of winners,” Ferrero recalled. “it was a very clean match.”

Ferrero is now the coach of one of the fastest-rising athletes in the world, Miami Open presented by Itau champion Carlos Alcaraz. The 42-year-old believes reflecting on his own past is something that can help his 18-year-old charge.

“For him, I think it’s very important,” said Ferrero. “He’s still growing up, he’s still very young. I try to give all my experience to him.

“We talk sometimes about those matches, what I felt at that time or what I was thinking before important matches. I try to share the things that I think he’s going to need most when he steps on the court.”

Could this be the week Alexander Zverev claims the lone clay-court ATP Masters 1000 title he is missing? Already a champion in Madrid and Rome, the German is now three wins from adding a Monte Carlo trophy to his collection.

Zverev defeated 13th seed Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 7-5 on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. The second seed will face fifth seed Andrey Rublev or ninth seed Jannik Sinner for a spot in the last four.

“For the second clay-court match of the season, I can’t complain too much,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Yes, I have lost focus a little bit in the second set, but at the end of the day, he’s somebody that can really play. I’m happy with a two-set win.”

Carreno Busta has proven a tough foe for Zverev in the past, particularly in the 2020 US Open semi-finals, when the Spaniard won the first two sets before the German was able to rally. But on the red clay, the five-time Masters 1000 champion had too much firepower in a one-hour, 36-minute victory.

Zverev struggled at times in his opening win against Federico Delbonis, but raised his level against Carreno Busta. The 24-year-old had the superior firepower, and was able to unleash powerful shots from neutral positions whereas his opponent struggled to put him on the back foot often.

“To win the biggest tournaments in the world, like Masters series, like Grand Slams, you have to be aggressive,” Zverev said. “I’m not going to win big titles just by pushing the ball.”

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Zverev lost his serve immediately in the second set, but never panicked. He converted five of his 14 break points to reach the Monte Carlo quarter-finals for the second time in his sixth appearance. He is now 10-5 in the Principality.

The two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion was most pleased with his serving performance. Zverev won 79 per cent of his first-serve points compared to just 57 per cent for Carreno Busta.

“It’s great, because especially on a clay court, especially here where it’s a little bit slower I think than other clay courts that we play on, it is very important to get that confidence going on your serve,” Zverev said. “All around, it’s important to get these kinds of wins.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas’ title defence at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters continued to gather pace Thursday when the Greek overcame Laslo Djere 7-5, 7-6(1) to reach the quarter-finals.

The World No. 5 did not drop a set en route to his first ATP Masters 1000 title at the clay-court event in 2021 and has been in ruthless form once again this week, backing up his opening win against 2019 champion Fabio Fognini with a consistent display against Djere on Court Rainier III.

“I knew I had to be alert,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview. “He is someone who competes very well on clay. He stays consistent and puts a lot of balls back and I really had to work hard for this win. It was important to get a good dynamic start in the tie-break and stay in rallies and take my chances when they appeared.”

Tsitsipas served well and remained patient throughout, waiting for his chances before raising his intensity in the crucial moments as he caused the Serbian damage with his heavy forehand to triumph after one hour and 52 minutes. According to Tennis Data Innovation’s Balance of Power, Tsitsipas played from an attacking position 23 per cent of the time compared to 19 per cent for Djere, which allowed him to control the action more often (Learn more about Balance of Power).

The 23-year-old has captured seven tour-level titles in his career, but has not lifted a trophy since Lyon last May. Tsitsipas will continue his bid to change that when he faces 12th seed Diego Schwartzman in his 13th Masters 1000 quarter-final.

The Argentine ended #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti’s run with a hard-fought 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory on Court des Princes. In an entertaining match full of stunning shotmaking, it was Schwartzman who prevailed in two hours and 34 minutes to reach the last eight for the second time in Monte Carlo (2017).

“Both [Schwartzman and Musetti] can compete well on clay,” Tsitsipas added. “They both have a good game for clay courts and all I have to do is be ready and show up with good mentality and do my job with passion and dedication.” 

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The third seed now leads Djere 2-0 in their ATP Head2Head series, having also defeated the World No. 62 in Acapulco in February. The 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion arrived in Monte Carlo off the back of a disappointing fourth-round exit at the Miami Open presented by Itau, but he has quickly adjusted to the clay at the Monte Carlo Country Club.

In an even opening set, Djere played proactively as he looked to take the clash to Tsitsipas. The Serbian matched the third seed’s ball striking from the back of the court but faulted at the key moment, with Greek breaking in the 12th game when his depth on return caused Djere problems.

Fuelled by momentum, Tsitsipas continued to soak up Djere’s powerful forehands in the second set. The Greek demonstrated great defence as he scampered around the baseline to stay in points before he turned the tables in rallies with his aggressive striking. According to Infosys ATP Stats, Tsitsipas won 95 per cent (19/20) of his first-serve points in the set and held his nerve in the tie-break to advance.

Djere was aiming to reach the quarter-finals at a Masters 1000 event for the first time in his career, having defeated Maxime Cressy and Lorenzo Sonego en route to the third round.

Grigor Dimitrov maintained his strong record at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters Thursday, upsetting fourth seed Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals for the fourth time.

The Bulgarian hit with controlled aggression throughout on Court Rainier III, stepping deep behind the baseline at times to take large cuts at the ball as he dictated with his groundstrokes to advance after one hour and 31 minutes.

“I was really looking forward to the match,” Dimitrov said in his on-court interview. “I knew if I did the right things, good things would come out of it. Casper is such a great player on whatever surface. He has proved it over and over again at such a young age, which is nice to see. I liked that matchup and wanted to see where I was physically and mentally. I just played and enjoyed the game.”

The World No. 29 has played some of his best tennis at the ATP Masters 1000 clay-court event in the past, reaching the last eight in 2013 and 2015 and the semi-finals in 2018.

Dimitrov, who is making his ninth appearance in Monte Carlo, has also earned wins against 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, former World No. 7 Fernando Verdasco and World No. 6 Matteo Berrettini at the tournament over the years.

“It is always tough this week because you are switching surfaces,” Dimitrov added. “So I try and not be too tough on myself in practice. I just try to do the simple things. It is going so well so far.”

Dimitrov has now levelled his ATP Head2Head series with Ruud at 1-1 and will next meet 11th seed Hubert Hurkacz after the Pole defeated Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas 7-6(2), 6-2.

Following his victory over the Norwegian, Dimitrov has already recorded the same number of wins on clay in 2022 than he managed in the whole of last season. The 2017 Nitto ATP Finals champion went 3-8 on the surface in 2021, while he is 3-0 this year.

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Dimitrov dominated the longer rallies in the first set, winning 19 of 29 points that went over five shots as he dictated the backhand exchanges. Ruud started to have more success when he targeted Dimitrov’s forehand but from 1-5 down in the opener, the mountain was too big to climb.

The second set was a much tighter affair with both players strong on serve. There were no break points offered up until the 12th game of the set, when Dimitrov produced an impressive return game to advance on his third match point.

“Despite certain moments, I felt like I was making the right decisions,” Dimitrov said. “You don’t have to make things more complicated. I was reading the game well, which helped me a lot. I made a lot of returns, which gave me an advantage to start points aggressively.”

Ruud, who has captured six tour-level titles on clay, reached his maiden Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open presented by Itau at the start of April. The Norwegian advanced to the semi-finals in Monte Carlo in 2021 and defeated #NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune in his first match this week.

Taylor Fritz is transferring his strong hard-court results onto clay this week, with the 10th seed winning an all-American battle against Sebastian Korda on Thursday in Monte Carlo.

The 24-year-old captured his first ATP Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells in March and has now reached the quarter-finals at four of the past five Masters 1000 events following his 7-6(4), 7-5 victory over Korda. Fritz is the first American man to reach the last eight in Monte Carlo since Sam Querrey in 2008.

“I thought the match today was pretty good,” Fritz said. “I was looking out for his return. I think I did a good job serving, mixing up all my spots. I fought off his returns on my second serves, which was the main focus. It was really good conditions today, so I was able to play what I felt was my best match.”

Fritz, who is making his third appearance at the Monte Carlo Country Club, will next play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina after the Spaniard, who shocked World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round, moved past Marrakech champion David Goffin 6-4, 6-1.

Eight years ago, Joe Salisbury was competing in his senior season as a student-athlete at the University of Memphis. On Thursday, the Briton will play his first match as the No. 1 doubles player in the world at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

But going back to Salisbury’s beginnings at Memphis, it was far from a sure thing that today he would stand atop the ATP Doubles Rankings. When University of Memphis Head Coach Paul Goebel recruited Salisbury, he was recovering from mono and a lower back injury, and had barely been playing tennis. The longtime coach did not immediately know the talent he had on his hands.

“It probably wasn’t right away to be honest. He was probably a riskier recruit just because he hadn’t been playing and with the injury, if it came back then he might not have even gotten to play,” Goebel told ATPTour.com. “So I was very patient with him and told him I would be up front.”

But once Goebel began to see his charge compete during his first spring season, it became apparent that Salisbury was a tough competitor.

“The best of him always, always came out on match day, which is what you want as a coach,” Goebel said. “There could be a lot of great practice players. I would not classify him as even a good practice player, but he is an unbelievable match day player.”

Part of what makes Salisbury a top player is his athleticism. His peers have raved about his ability to cover the court, whether that’s quickly poaching a volley at the net or rushing back to smash away a lob that normally would be out of reach.

“He’s able to take balls from deep, short, angles and put them away,” said Rajeev Ram, Salisbury’s doubles partner. “He can do amazing things with the overhead. He’s a great athlete.”

^{Photo Credit: Peter Staples/ATP Tour}
Goebel remembered similar attributes from when Salisbury was at Memphis, adding, “He was super athletic. I think everything he does seems to have a purpose behind it. He might not practise as long or sometimes even as hard, but he was very clear in what he wanted to get done.

“We could set goals that we wanted to accomplish as far as adding parts to his game and he would very much accept doing that, even if it meant he’d go backwards and you’re not feeling like you’re playing good, but he’s working on parts of his game for his future.”

As much as Salisbury enjoys lifting trophies and competing on the sport’s biggest stages, it is the daily grind that he enjoys the most. That is what gives him the most satisfaction.

“Being able to do something that you love doing, that you’re passionate about and trying to improve every day, the excitement of competing, playing matches, I think that’s the main thing that I really enjoy,” Salisbury told ATPTour.com. “It’s that I’m doing something that I’m passionate about and I want to be doing it, not because of winning titles or earning prize money. It’s because I want to get better at this sport and be the best that I can.”

Salisbury is not a player who seeks attention. But from Goebel’s early days around him, he saw that the Briton’s actions spoke louder than words. When teammates might have needed a nudge to stretch or do extra work on their game or their body, Salisbury had already done it.

“I will say, with the belief he had in himself and the way he always conducted himself, I knew he was going to be a tremendous professional,” Goebel said. “You could just tell there was something [special].”

ATP Chairman Andrea Gaudenzi presented Erste Bank Open Tournament Director Herwig Straka on Wednesday with a trophy to recognise the Vienna event being named the ATP 500 Tournament of the Year in the 2021 ATP Awards.

“We are very pleased that the Erste Bank Open were voted the ATP 500 tournament of the year for the first time in our long history,” Straka said last year. “We take this as an award for the entire team, which prepares and implements the event with great motivation every year. We consistently try to improve and innovate the Erste Bank Open, like this year’s launch of the ‘Tennis 2 Go’ project, to offer both players and fans world-class tennis and entertainment at the highest level.”

It was the first time the Erste Bank Open was named the ATP 500 Tournament of the year. The event, which was first held in 1974, attracted nearly 60,000 fans last year despite the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The fans flocked to both the Stadthalle and “Tennis 2 Go”, a new second-match location in the city centre at the Wiener Eislaufverein.

The BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells (ATP Masters 1000) and the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha (ATP 250) were named as Tournament of the Year in their respective categories last year.