Tennis News

Tsitsipas Contains Karatsev In Monte-Carlo

Fourth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas aced a tricky opening test at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Aslan Karatsev on Tuesday.

One break of serve in each set made the difference for the Greek  on Court Rainier III as he faced the Dubai titlist for the first time. Tsitsipas fired nine winners over an hour and 24 minutes as he claimed the first spot into the third round.

“I knew I had to face a difficult opponent today,” Tsitsipas said in his post-match interview. “Aslan has [had some] great results this year… I managed to push him back and attack with my forehand. Things worked out pretty well for me. 

“My clay court experience helps a lot to come back each year stronger, knowing that I have done better before. It was a very beautiful game out there and I enjoyed it.”

With the victory, the Greek improved to 18-5 on the season, having reached the quarter-finals or better at all five of his previous tournaments including a run to the championship match in Acapulco. Tsitsipas advanced to the third round in Monte Carlo for the second edition in a row, equalling his best result at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event.

“I’m putting [in] hours on the court, trying to become consistent [and] get close to the legends of our sport,” said Tsitsipas. “I am working every single day. I am very far from that, but it is definitely a dream of mine that I want to achieve one day.”

Also in action, Norwegian Casper Ruud won a Scandinavian showdown against Danish wild card Holger Vitus Nodskov Rune 6-2, 6-1, en route to the third round. Ruud will face seventh seed Diego Schwartzman next. Schwartzman leads their ATP Head2Head record 4-0.

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Monte Carlo Masters: Dan Evans seals first tour-level victory on clay in four years

Dan Evans seals his first tour-level victory on clay in four years with a first-round win over Dusan Lajovic at the Monte Carlo Masters.

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New Day, New Outcome For Garin Against Auger-Aliassime

Cristian Garin trailed Felix Auger-Aliassime 2-4 when the pair’s first-round match was suspended due to rain on Monday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters. When the Chilean returned to the court on Tuesday, he raised his game to march into the second round.

The five-time ATP Tour clay-court titlist claimed 11 of the 14 games played on Tuesday and capitalised on 28 forehand unforced errors from Auger-Aliassime to record a 7-6(3), 6-1 win. Garin improved his record on clay this season to 5-1, highlighted by his title run at home at the Chile Dove Men+Care Open in Santiago.

“The conditions were pretty different [from] yesterday,” Garin said in his post-match interview. “Yesterday, the court was pretty humid and today it was faster. I love these conditions. It is my favourite surface… These matches help me a lot to keep looking at the things I have to improve. I am very happy to be playing here in Monte-Carlo.”

The World No. 24 has regained the lead in his ATP Head2Head series against the #NextGenATP Canadian. Garin has won two of his three matches against Auger-Aliassime, with all three encounters contested on clay.

“I didn’t expect to play Felix in the first round. He is a great player with a really great future, so I am very happy with the way I played today,” Garin said. “I hope to keep improving. Most of the tournaments that I played this year were on clay, so I had more rhythm.”

Auger-Aliassime was making his first appearance under the guidance of new coaching team member Toni Nadal this week. The Canadian approached the Spaniard towards the end of 2020 and spent more than a week preparing for the 2021 ATP Tour season at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar in Mallorca. Auger-Aliassime opened the year with a run to the Murray River Open final (l. to Evans).

Garin will meet John Millman for a spot in the third round. The Aussie defeated Ugo Humbert 6-3, 6-3 to start his Monte-Carlo campaign on Monday.

“[Millman] is a very solid player,” Garin said. “I saw his match yesterday [and] he played really well. He is a dangerous player. Every player here plays amazing.”

Singapore champion Alexei Popyrin recovered from a slow start to beat Pablo Andujar 0-6, 6-2, 7-6(3). The 21-year-old qualifier won 79 per cent of his first-serve points in the decider (15/19) to improve to 12-4 on the season.

Popyrin will meet French wild card Lucas Pouille in the second round. The former Top 10 star defeated Guido Pella 6-3, 6-4 to earn his second tour-level win of the year.

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ATP 250 To Be Held In Parma From 22-29 May

ATP has added an 250 clay-court tournament in late May following the one-week delay to the start of Roland Garros.

For the first time, Parma, in Italy’s North, will host an ATP Tour event. The Emilia-Romagna Open will be held from Saturday 22 May to Saturday 29 May, leading into the second Grand Slam tournament of the year in Paris.

The event, to be held in the heart of Emilia at the President Tennis Club of Montechiarugolo, is strongly supported by the Emilia-Romagna Region.

^{Photo Credit: iStock by Getty Images}
Italy is experiencing a tennis boom, with 10 players inside the Top 100 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. For the first time this November, the country will host the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin in the week following the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.

MEF Tennis Events , which already runs ATP Challenger Tour events in Italy and abroad, will organise the event. It has already worked on events in the municipalities of Parma, Montechiarugolo and Forlì, which in the past two years have seen the triumphs of former World No. 5 Tommy Robredo, American Frances Tiafoe and #NextGenATP Italian Lorenzo Musetti.

Any further updates to the ATP Tour calendar will be communicated in due course.

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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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