Tennis News

Sinner Sets Djokovic Clash In Monte-Carlo

In his first appearance since his runner-up finish at the Miami Open presented by Itau, Jannik Sinner claimed a debut win at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday to book a blockbuster meeting with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

The #NextGenATP Italian made a slow start to his first-round match, but he recovered quickly to defeat 2017 finalist Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4 on Court des Princes. Sinner rallied from 0-2 in the first set and broke serve on three occasions to improve to 15-5 this season.

“I practised [for] three days on clay, which is not that much, knowing that [Ramos-Vinolas] played well in Marbella. He played a good tournament there… Maybe he was a little bit tired,” said Sinner.

“It’s always good for me to see what I can do on clay. Obviously, I am not in the best form on clay now for the first week. But I think today was a solid match from my side. It was not easy. He’s not giving [away] one point, so you have to stay there the whole match… I think I played a good match from my side.”

Sinner and Djokovic will meet for the first time on the ATP Tour in Monte-Carlo. Djokovic is competing for the first time since he captured a record-extending ninth Australian Open title in February.

Sinner is competing in only his fourth ATP Masters 1000 main draw this week. The Great Ocean Road Open champion recovered from a set down against Karen Khachanov and Roberto Bautista Agut en route to the Miami championship match (l. to Hurkacz).

Sinner was one of five Italians to reach the second round on Tuesday. Defending champion Fabio Fognini moved past Miomir Kecmanovic 6-2, 7-5 on Court Rainier III and there were also wins for Lorenzo Sonego, Marco Cecchinato and Salvatore Caruso.

Graphic courtesy Hawk-Eye Innovations/ATP Media

Sonego defeated Rotterdam runner-up Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 6-4 to extend his unbeaten record on clay this year to 5-0. Last week’s Cagliari singles and doubles champion (w/Vavassori) will meet Alexander Zverev in the second round.

Cecchinato converted five of his nine break points to beat German qualifier Dominik Koepfer 6-4, 6-3. Caruso trailed by a set and a break at 6-7(3), 2-3 when his match against Monegasque wild card Lucas Catarina was suspended on Monday. The Italian qualifier recovered well to defeat the home hope 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-3 in three hours and eight minutes.

“It’s difficult right now, but I can remember things I did during that match to keep improving,” said Catarina. “Maybe I can play other tournaments at a high level. I hope I will be able to win more matches.”

Miami champion Hubert Hurkacz needed three sets to complete his two-day encounter against Thomas Fabbiano on Court No. 2. The Pole, who led 6-3, 0-1 when play was suspended due to rain on Monday, saved seven of the nine break points he faced to beat the Italian qualifier 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

The 13th seed will meet Daniel Evans for a place in the third round. The British No. 1 overcame 2019 runner-up Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-7(11), 6-2 in another match played over two days. Evans was unable to convert two match points in a marathon 24-point second-set tie-break, but he quickly regained his composure in the decider to race to victory.

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Fognini Makes Winning Return

Two years on from the biggest title run of his career, Fabio Fognini made a successful return to the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday.

The Italian opened play on Court Rainier III with a 6-2, 7-5 victory against Miomir Kecmanovic to reach the second round. Fognini fired 27 winners, compared to just four from Kecmanovic, to advance in 85 minutes.

“It was difficult coming here with a bit of pressure,” Fognini said in his post-match interview. “Last week was a really bad week for me, so I tried to change something in my game, especially mentally, because when I am feeling good, [my] tennis is going the perfect way.”

Rain had forced the majority of play to be cancelled on Monday, but the defending champion was welcomed onto court on Tuesday morning by perfect spring conditions in the Principality. Despite dropping serve in the opening game of the match, Fognini raced through the first set in 33 minutes.

The second set proved far more competitive, but Fognini made a late move to claim his 18th win in Monte-Carlo (18-10). With Kecmanovic serving at 5-6, the 33-year-old outmanoeuvred the Serbian in an extended baseline rally to earn three consecutive match points. Fognini attacked his opponent’s forehand to convert his second opportunity.

“The first round is always difficult,” said Fognini. “He was pushing the ball really hard from the baseline… I am happy about my victory today.”

En route to the title in 2019, Fognini claimed straight-sets wins against Alexander Zverev and 11-time champion Rafael Nadal. The Italian became the first player from his nation to lift an ATP Masters 1000 trophy with another straight-sets win against Dusan Lajovic in the championship match.

“It is really special because I was born here, I was born in Sanremo,” said Fognini. “I was practising here since I was 14 years old. I have a lot of memories here.”

Fognini will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round. Thompson outlasted Benoit Paire 6-4, 6-7(3), 7-6(5) over three hours and three minutes in his first-round match on Sunday.

Ninth seed Roberto Bautista Agut took just 75 minutes to beat Sardegna Open semi-finalist Taylor Fritz 6-2, 7-5. The Spaniard dropped only four points behind his first serve (25/29) to book another meeting against American opposition. Bautista Agut will face Tommy Paul in the second round.

Grigor Dimitrov converted all three break points he created to defeat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-4. The 14th seed, who owns a 15-7 record in the Principality, will face Jeremy Chardy in his next match. The Frenchman dropped the second set of his match against Alexander Bublik 6-0, before he regained his form to defeat the Miami quarter-finalist 6-4, 0-6, 7-5.

Did You Know?
There are nine Italians in the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters main draw this year. Since the inception of the ATP Masters 1000 series in 1990, this marks a tournament record. The only Masters 1000 event to feature more Italian players in the main draw was the 1993 Internazionali BNL d ‘Italia in Rome (10).

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French Open: Mixed doubles to return for 2021 tournament

Mixed doubles will return for the 2021 French Open after being cancelled at last year’s event because of Covid-19 restrictions.

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Monte Carlo Masters: Daniil Medvedev tests positive for Covid-19

World number two Daniil Medvedev withdraws from the Monte Carlo Masters after testing positive for coronavirus.

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Felix Says Success With Toni Nadal 'Doesn't Come With A Guarantee'

Felix Auger-Aliassime made waves when he announced ahead of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters that Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s uncle, recently joined his team. Now the #NextGenATP Canadian is ready to soak in all of the veteran coach’s lessons.

“First off it’s a big privilege,” Auger-Aliassime said. “It’s a big chance that I have to have him by my side, to be a coach, my mentor [and] to help me be a better player.”

Towards the end of last year, Auger-Aliassime wanted to find someone to fill a mentorship role, and the Canadian and his team approached Nadal to see if there would be a possibility of working together.

“We had the chance to train with him in December in his home, in Mallorca. It went well from the first days and after, we saw how it would be possible to continue to work together in the future. And we did,” Auger-Aliassime revealed. “I’m glad that we are where we are now today and he’s with me now in this first tournament together. So far it’s been good.”

What does the 20-year-old believe Nadal brings to his team? For starters, Uncle Toni has plenty of experience from working with his nephew.

“In terms of coaches, there are not many that have [had] a career like he did, really. It’s amazing to have him,” Auger-Aliassime said. “We had to see of course if we connected, if our values, if our personalities connected and they really did. I admire him as a person before anything else and I think we have really high mutual respect for each other and for everybody else also on my team: Frederic, my coach, my fitness coach and my physio.

“It’s really a blessing to have a person like this besides me.”

Frederic Fontang, Auger-Aliassime’s longtime coach, is not going anywhere with this move. The World No. 21 referred to Fontang as his “main coach”, while Nadal will join them at some big events.

“Toni has the part more of a consultant, mentor and I think that’s how we like to see it,” Auger-Aliassime said. “They’re working really well together, communicating well. We’re always in touch, even if Toni isn’t there. It’s good because it’s important that the two coaches are also getting along well.”

There isn’t just one part of his game that Auger-Aliassime is looking to improve on. The Canadian also understands that working with Nadal doesn’t mean he will suddenly turn into Rafa on clay.

“We’ll see if he can help me and if he can bring me advice and tools to be a better player on this surface. That would be great,” Auger-Aliassime said. “But it doesn’t come as a straight guarantee that having him in my corner will guarantee me victories on clay.”

The seven-time ATP Tour finalist is striving to be “as complete as I can be”, shoring up all areas of his game. Auger-Aliassime knows he has already cracked the Top 20 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, reaching a career-high of World No. 17, and believes there is plenty of room left to grow.

For now, he will focus on advancing as far as possible at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. Auger-Aliassime took a 4-2 lead against Cristian Garin in their first-round clash on Monday before play was suspended until Tuesday due to rain.

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Tuesday Preview: Tsitsipas-Karatsev Clash Headlines Hectic Day 3

You might want to grab the popcorn for Day 3 of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters… and a second screen. With rain washing out most of Monday’s play in the Principality – only four of the scheduled 16 matches were able to be completed – Tuesday promises a packed slate of wall to wall ATP Masters 1000 action.

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas starts his Monte-Carlo campaign in the second round, and he’ll have to hit the ground running as he is scheduled for both singles and doubles alongside Petros Tsitsipas. It’s a good thing that the 2020 Roland Garros semi-finalist has been working on his physical conditioning ahead of the year’s first clay-court Masters 1000 event, as he will face the in-form Aslan Karatsev in his opening match.

“I’ve practised a lot of days on clay. I’ve been feeling well,” Tsitsipas told press before the tournament. “My body is in good shape. Currently I feel like I’m working a lot on my physicality when I play friendly matches on clay. I think that’s going to be the most important aspect in my game during the clay-court season.”

His opponent, Karatsev is making his first appearance at an ATP Tour clay-court event this week, and successfully navigated a tricky Monte-Carlo debut. On Monday, he beat the rain and defeated #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti on the way to the second round.

The Russian player has seemed unflappable throughout a red-hot start to the season, which saw him make a stunning run from qualifying to his first Grand Slam semi-final at the Australian Open. Karatsev didn’t stop there, lifting his first ATP Tour trophy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships a few weeks later.

“I think it’s because of my age [that I’m handling things so well],” 27-year-old Karatsev said. “Of course you have to have your feet on the ground, but I’m not 20 years old [anymore]. I try to push myself every day and to practise and compete. That’s what I can do every day.”

Eighth seed Matteo Berrettini also begins his Monte-Carlo campaign in the second round, where he will face Alejandro Davidovich Fokina for the first time. Berrettini is one of eight Italians in action on Tuesday, including defending champion Fabio Fognini and #NextGenATP Jannik Sinner.

Sinner will start against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the first round. The 19-year-old arrived in Monte-Carlo after a breakthrough run to his first Masters 1000 final in Miami, and is sitting at a career-high No. 22 in the FedEx ATP Rankings as a result. Should he advance to the second round, he could face top seed and World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the first time in tour-level competition. But the Italian’s opponent Ramos-Vinolas also arrived on a hot streak, having reached the semi-finals or better at all three clay court events he has played, including last week in Marbella. 

Watch Live | View TV Schedule

SCHEDULE – TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2021
COURT RAINIER III start 11:00 am
First Round – [15] F. Fognini (ITA) vs M. Kecmanovic (SRB)
First Round – F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) vs [16] C. Garin (CHI) 42
Second Round – [4] S. Tsitsipas (GRE) vs A. Karatsev (RUS)
Second Round – A. Davidovich Fokina (ESP) vs [8] M. Berrettini (ITA)

COURT DES PRINCES start 11:00 am
A. Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) vs J. Sinner (ITA)
D. Evans (GBR) vs D. Lajovic (SRB) 63 00
[14] G. Dimitrov (BUL) vs J. Struff (GER)
[Q] S. Travaglia (ITA) vs [12] P. Carreno Busta (ESP)

COURT 2 start 11:00 am
G. Pella (ARG) vs [WC] L. Pouille (FRA)
[Q] T. Fabbiano (ITA) vs [13] H. Hurkacz (POL) 36 10
T. Fritz (USA) vs [9] R. Bautista Agut (ESP)
K. Khachanov (RUS) vs L. Djere (SRB)

COURT 9 start 11:00 am
[Q] M. Cecchinato (ITA) vs [Q] D. Koepfer (GER)
[Q] S. Caruso (ITA) vs [WC] L. Catarina (MON) 67(3) 23
[WC] H. Rune (DEN) vs C. Ruud (NOR)
L. Sonego (ITA) vs M. Fucsovics (HUN)

COURT 11 start 11:00 am
[Q] F. Delbonis (ARG) vs A. Mannarino (FRA)
J. Chardy (FRA) vs A. Bublik (KAZ) 54
[Q] A. Popyrin (AUS) vs P. Andujar (ESP)
F. Krajinovic (SRB) vs N. Basilashvili (GEO)

COURT 7 start 2:00 pm
After Suitable Rest – [7] P. Herbert (FRA) / N. Mahut (FRA) vs [WC] S. Bolelli (ITA) / J. Sinner (ITA)
After Suitable Rest – F. Auger-Aliassime (CAN) / H. Hurkacz (POL) vs [WC] R. Arneodo (MON) / H. Nys (MON)
After Suitable Rest – [8] K. Krawietz (GER) / H. Tecau (ROU) vs [WC] P. Tsitsipas (GRE) / S. Tsitsipas (GRE) 45

COURT 13 start 11:00 am
M. Melo (BRA) / J. Rojer (NED) vs [5] R. Ram (USA) / J. Salisbury (GBR) 33
A. de Minaur (AUS) / J. Peers (AUS) vs R. Klaasen (RSA) / B. McLachlan (JPN)
After Suitable Rest – A. Mannarino (FRA) / B. Paire (FRA) vs [6] W. Koolhof (NED) / L. Kubot (POL)
After Suitable Rest – S. Gille (BEL) / J. Vliegen (BEL) vs D. Evans (GBR) / N. Skupski (GBR)

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Better, Faster, Stronger? Nadal's Forehand Stats In Monte-Carlo Might Surprise You

Rafael Nadal hits more forehands than his opponents at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. He also hits them harder. Tennis enthusiasts would not blink an eye believing those two common-sense statements at face value. Except they are false.

An Infosys ATP Beyond The Numbers analysis of 12 Monte-Carlo matches from 2017-2019 compares Nadal’s forehand metrics to his opponents. The eye test quickly identifies one of the most potent strokes our sport has ever seen – especially at sea level on a clay court. But the stats sheet shows opponents stack up better against it than we would have thought. The twelve matches in the data set are below. Nadal won 11 and lost one.

Rafael Nadal: 12 Monte-Carlo Matches 2017-19
1. 2019 SF – l. Fabio Fognini 6-4, 6-2
2. 2019 QF – def. Guido Pella 7-6(1), 6-3
3. 2019 R16 – def. Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1
4. 2019 R32 – def. Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1, 6-1
5. 2018 F – def. Kei Nishikori 6-3, 6-2
6. 2018 SF – def. Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1
7. 2018 QF – def. Dominic Thiem 6-0, 6-2
8. 2018 R16 – def. Karen Khachanov 6-3, 6-2
9. 2017 SF – def. David Goffin 6-3, 6-1
10. 2017 QF – def. Diego Schwartzman 6-4, 6-4
11. 2017 R16 – def. Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-11
12. 2017 R32 – def. Kyle Edmund 6-0, 5-7, 6-3

Below are five focus points that may surprise you regarding Nadal’s forehand performance versus his opponents.

1: Nadal Hit Fewer Forehands
Our image of Nadal – especially on clay – is a player willing to go to all locations on the court to hit a forehand to rough up his opponent’s backhand. But in the 12 matches in the data set, his opponents actually struck more forehands than Nadal did.

• Nadal Forehands = 1493
• Opponent Forehands = 1546

Edmund hit 33 more forehands (204-171) than Nadal did in their three-set encounter in 2017, while Goffin hit 30 more (134-104) three rounds later in the semi-final.

2: Nadal’s Forehand Speed
Nadal is well-known for scorching forehands on the practice court but not really bringing the same blazing heat off that wing once the match starts. Regardless, you would naturally assume Nadal hits a harder forehand on clay in Monte-Carlo than his opponents. It’s not what the data says.

Average Forehand Speed
• Nadal = 122.9 km/h
• Opponents = 124.9 km/h

The match that had the largest disparity was against Edmund. The Brit averaged hitting his forehand 134 km/h, while Nadal was 121 km/h – a 13 km/h difference. There were only two matches in the data set (vs. Nishikori & Fognini) where Nadal averaged hitting a faster forehand.

3: Forehand / Backhand Ratio Almost Identical To Opponents
When Nadal is on clay – especially in Monte-Carlo where he has won 11 times – we would assume his ratio of forehands to backhands is much higher than his opponent’s. It’s simply not true.

Nadal
• Forehands 59% (1493)
• Backhands 41% (1030)

Opponents
• Forehands 58% (1546)
• Backhands 42% (1122)

Edmund is an opponent who also thrives on turning forehands into backhands in the Ad court. He hit 68 per cent forehands for the match, while Nadal only managed 61 per cent. It may feel like Nadal is consistently winning the battle to hit more forehands, but the stats sheet says otherwise.

4: Nadal Hits His Forehand From Deeper In The Court
Nadal likes to back up as far as possible to return serve. But once he has returned the ball and a rally blossoms, he is actually hitting a higher percentage of rally forehands inside the baseline than his opponents.

Nadal: Forehand Hit-Point
• Inside the baseline = 23%
• Within two metres of the baseline = 49%
• Behind two metres = 28%

Opponents: Forehand Hit-Point
• Inside the baseline = 18%
• Within two metres of the baseline = 56%
• Behind two metres = 26%

When Nadal defeated Nishikori in the 2018 final, he hit 48 per cent of his forehands inside the baseline. Nishikori was only at 16 percent.

5: Nadal’s Opponents Make Contact Much Higher
Nadal’s heavy topspin does indeed make his opponents have to make higher contact, but it’s not as much as you think.

Average Rally Contact Height
• Nadal = 1.05 metres
• Opponents = 1.17 metres

The difference is only 12cm higher, or around five inches. That’s roughly the same height as two tennis balls stacked on top of each other. When Nadal defeated Dimitrov 6-4, 6-1 in the 2018 semi-final, Dimitrov’s average contact height was 1.24 metres, while Nadal was at 1.16 metres. Those two measurements were the highest for both Nadal and his opponent in the 12-match data set.

Nadal’s heavy forehand is undeniably a significant weapon for the Spaniard and will be relied upon once again in his chase for an unprecedented 12th title in Monaco.

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Remaining Monday Play Cancelled In Monte-Carlo

Due to rain, the remainder of Monday action at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters has been cancelled.

Before weather stopped play from continuing for the day, four players advanced to the second round at the Monte-Carlo Country Club: Aslan Karatsev, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, John Millman and Tommy Paul. Play was suspended for the first time just before midday in the Principality, before action resumed for more than an hour at 4:30 p.m.

Five singles matches were in progress when play was cancelled. On Court Rainier III, Felix Auger-Aliassime led Cristian Garin 4-2. Miami Open presented by Itau champion Hubert Hurkacz held a 6-3, 0-1 advantage against Thomas Fabbiano on Court No. 2.

On Court des Princes, Daniel Evans had just taken the first set against 2019 Monte-Carlo runner-up Dusan Lajovic 6-3. Monegasque wild card Lucas Catarina was up a set and a break against Salvatore Caruso 7-6(3), 3-2 on Court 9. Jeremy Chardy was about to serve for the first set at 5-4 against Alexander Bublik.

Each of those matches will be second on court Tuesday. Other players who will be in action include fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, eighth seed Matteo Berrettini and defending champion Fabio Fognini.

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Karatsev Proves Tsitsipas Wrong In Monte-Carlo

In Stefanos Tsitsipas’ pre-tournament press conference, the Greek predicted his second-round opponent at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters would be Lorenzo Musetti.

Aslan Karatsev proved the Greek wrong on Monday with a 6-3, 6-4 victory against the #NextGenATP Italian in a rain-interrupted first-round clash on Court Rainier III. Karatsev started the match quickly to establish an immediate break, but his momentum was halted at 4-3 in the opener by a rain delay which lasted more than four hours.

When the players returned to the court, Karatsev claimed back-to-back games to take the first set. The Dubai champion saved all four break points he faced and imposed his aggressive game style throughout the 88-minute match. In an impressive final game, Karatsev neutralised Musetti’s serve with deep returns and fired a cross-court backhand, his 23rd winner of the day, to seal the win.

Karatsev is making his first appearance at an ATP Tour clay-court event this week. The 27-year-old, who owns two ATP Challenger Tour titles on the surface, will face Tsitsipas for the first time in the second round. Karatsev holds a 2-2 record against Top 10 players this year, with wins against Diego Schwartzman and Andrey Rublev.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina upset Alex de Minaur 6-4, 7-6(3) to book a second-round encounter with eighth seed Matteo Berrettini. The Spaniard saved six of the eight break points he faced to level his ATP Head2Head rivalry against the Aussie at 1-1.

Did You Know?
Musetti and Karatsev have made the biggest improvements of any players in the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings since last August. Musetti has soared 196 spots from No. 280 to No. 84, while Karatsev has risen 165 positions from No. 194 to No. 29.

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Nishikori Congratulates Matsuyama On The Masters Win

Kei Nishikori has climbed higher than any Asian player in FedEx ATP Rankings history, reaching World No. 4 in 2015. On Sunday, another Asian athlete made history.

Golfer Hideki Matsuyama won The Masters, becoming the first Japanese man to win a major golf tournament. Nishikori quickly congratulated his countryman on social media

???? https://t.co/k4YJ6tzJzQ

— Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) April 12, 2021

Nishikori tweeted: “Matsuyama is amazing! I was impressed. Congratulations on winning!”

松山くんすごいです！感動しました。
優勝おめでとうございます！！

— Kei Nishikori (@keinishikori) April 12, 2021

Matsuyama is familiar with the tennis world, too. In 2017, the golfer attended Wimbledon, watching Roger Federer play Milos Raonic on Centre Court.

^{Photo Credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images}

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