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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. 

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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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Davis Cup Finals: Innsbruck and Turin to join Madrid as tournament co-hosts

Turin and Innsbruck join Madrid as co-hosts of this year’s 18-team Davis Cup Finals, which will run for 11 days from 25 November.

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Sonego Breaks Into Top 30, Mover Of Week

No. 28 Lorenzo Sonego, +6 (Career High)
The Italian has broken into the Top 30 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time, rising to a career-high No. 28 after he captured his second ATP Tour title on Sunday at the Sardegna Open. Sonego beat Laslo Djere 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4 in the Cagliari final and is now one of four Italians in the Top 30 (also No. 10 Matteo Berrettini, No. 18 Fabio Fognini and No. 22 Jannik Sinner). He had featured in the Top 40 since the week beginning 2 November 2020.

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The 25-year-old Sonego, who partnered compatriot Andrea Vavassori to the Cagliari doubles title, became the first player to capture singles and doubles titles in the same week since Feliciano Lopez at the 2019 cinch Championships in London. He is also the first Italian to lift a tour-level trophy on home soil since Filippo Volandri at Palermo (d. Lapentti) in October 2006. The last Italian to complete a title ‘double’ was Berrettini at the 2018 Swiss Open Gstaad.

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No. 12 Pablo Carreno Busta, +3
The Spaniard is closing on the Top 10 for the first time since 25 February 2018. Carreno Busta, who rises three spots to No. 12, clinched his first trophy on home soil on Sunday by beating fellow Spaniard Jaume Munar 6-1, 2-6, 6-4 at the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open. It was his 200th tour-level match win.

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Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 22 Jannik Sinner, +1 (Career High)
No. 49 Laslo Djere, +8
No. 62 Sebastian Korda, +3 (Career High)
No. 74 Emil Ruusuvuori, +1 (Career High)
No. 81 Jaume Munar, +14
No. 84 Lorenzo Musetti, +6 (Career High)

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Rafa, Novak & Stefanos Weigh In On Felix-Uncle Toni Duo

One of the biggest pieces of news leading into the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters was the partnership between Felix Auger-Aliassime and Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s uncle and former longtime coach, who has joined the Canadian’s team. The question is, how does Rafa feel about it?

“I am happy for him. At the same time, happy [for the] academy [to] have somebody [working] with such a great player like Felix. [That] is a positive thing,” Nadal said. “Toni has a lot of experience. He knows a lot about this sport. He has all the knowledge that somebody needs. I am sure that [is] going to be an important help for Felix.”

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Uncle Toni will not be travelling with Auger-Aliassime full-time. He is still the director of the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar. His nephew is entirely supportive of the new collaboration.

“I don’t have any problem. I always said the same: I want the best for Toni,” Nadal said. “He’s my uncle. I am very grateful for all the things that he did for me. I am happy that he’s on the Tour a couple of weeks.

“At the same time I am happy for Felix. It’s going to be a good support, [to] have a great coach like Toni next to him. Happy for me, too. I am happy to see my uncle here, spend time with him here on the Tour again.”

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic believes Uncle Toni was “probably looking for a new challenge”, and the Serbian was not surprised by the move.

“I know Felix has spent quite a bit of time in the past couple years at Rafa’s academy training and getting advice and mentorship from Toni when he was there,” Djokovic said. “Toni probably was excited to explore a new project, a new adventure on the Tour with one of the best young tennis players in the world at the moment.

“Felix is a great guy. He’s someone that has hard-working ethics, which is something that is very important for Toni. I wish them all the best. It’s nice to see Toni on the Tour. Obviously he’s had his mark with Rafa for so many years. I feel like he can only bring positives to Felix’s game and mindset.”

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 2019 Nitto ATP Finals champion, added that the combo was “really unexpected”. But like his colleagues, the Greek believes it will yield benefits for Auger-Aliassime.

“Didn’t see that coming. It’s pretty cool having a coach that has helped Rafael Nadal win so many important titles and has shaped his career in a way. It’s really good for him,” Tsitsipas said. “I feel like he has an advantage having a coach like this. But he’s not going to do the playing for him. [Toni] might give him a few tips and good advice. It’s all going to go out on the court at the end.”

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'It's A Big Number': Carreno Busta Reflects On 200 Tour-Level Wins

Pablo Carreno Busta did more than just claim his fifth ATP Tour title with a victory in the final of the AnyTech365 Andalucia Open. The Spaniard reached a major career milestone as he sealed his 200th tour-level win by defeating Jaume Munar in the championship match.

“It’s a big number. We’re talking about a lot of wins on tour,” the Spaniard admitted to ATPTour.com. At 29 years of age, Carreno Busta has a 200-169 record since turning professional on 9 April 2013. “I wouldn’t be able to choose one. I’ve had very good wins that are special because of the opponent, the circumstances or their significance to me.”

Of all the matches he has won, the No. 12 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings chooses his Top 5 favourite battles on the ATP Tour.

Pablo Andujar – Casablanca, 2013
The Asturias native earned his place in the Casablanca main draw in 2013 by coming through three rounds of qualifying. The draw matched him up with fellow Spaniard Pablo Andujar, who had won the title in the previous two years (2011, 2012). But Carreno Busta, at 21 years of age, won 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 in two hours and four minutes.

“It was the first ATP match I won. 2013 was a really great year for me because I won so many matches. I’d just had a back operation and I won seven Futures events in a row, four Challenger tournaments and after coming through qualifying in Casablanca, I beat Andujar. Then I lost to Kevin Anderson. It was the start, the first match I won and I will always remember it.”

Pablo Cuevas – Indian Wells, 2017
Dropping to his knees on court at Indian Wells, the Spaniard celebrated reaching his first semi-final at an ATP Masters 1000. To reach the last four at the BNP Paribas Open, he had to save two match points, defeating Pablo Cuevas 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(4) in a tough clash that lasted two hours and 4 minutes.

“It was in the quarter-finals, I won 7-6 in the third set to reach my first Masters 1000 semi-final. Also, it was at Indian Wells, which is one of the best tournaments in that category. It was a fantastic week. I remember how much my coach Cesar [Fabregas] and I enjoyed ourselves there.”

Milos Raonic – Roland Garros, 2017
His 200 wins include six against Top 10 opponents. One of the most special of those came at Roland Garros, when he reached the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam for the first time against then-World No. 6 Milos Raonic. “I remember having both my coaches Samuel [Lopez] and Cesar there with me, as well as my manager, Albert Molina.”

“It was a match that showed me my game was good enough. It was the first big result I had in a Grand Slam, then came the US Open semi-final later that year. But in Paris I’d beaten Dimitrov in the previous round, then Raonic in a really long match (4hr, 17 min), which ended 8-6 in the fifth set. It was a very emotional and special match.”

Kevin Anderson – Miami, 2018
Having bowed out to Kevin Anderson in the fourth round of the 2018 BNP Paribas Open after losing 7-6(6) in the third set, a week later in Miami fate would give Carreno Busta a second chance to beat the South African, then a Top 10 player. Carreno Busta sealed his pass to the semi-finals at the ATP Masters 1000 event in a match that ended in the same fashion; 7-6(6) in the decider.

“I’d just lost to him in Indian Wells and a week later I came up against him again in the quarter-finals in Miami. I had the chance to close out the match in the second set, but failed. But I kept fighting and took it in the third, 7-6. When you have such a close scoreline, with such difficult moments to play through, in stadiums that big and with players so great, it’s always exciting.”

Denis Shapovalov – US Open, 2020
When the ATP Tour restarted after the break for the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the first stops on the schedule was the US Open. There, Carreno Busta progressed to the semi-finals for the second time in his career (2017, 2020). His match against Denis Shapovalov was very special, not only because of the result and the stage of the tournament, but also because of the psychological and emotional value.

“At the last US Open, after what happened in the previous round to Novak Djokovic and the way it happened, beating Shapovalov reaffirmed that I was there because I deserved to be. And it was a match that finished in the fifth set. I gave it my all, I beat him and was back in a US Open semi-final for the second time. For me it was confirmation that it was no fluke that I was able to win that match. I think that that’s really important.”

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Khachanov/Rublev Pass Early Test In Monte-Carlo

Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev opened their bid for a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday with a 6-7(7), 6-4, 10-4 victory against Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.

The Russian duo, which has reached two Masters 1000 finals (0-2), converted all three of its break points to reach the second round in 88 minutes. Khachanov and Rublev will face fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos for a place in the quarter-finals.

Fabio Fognini made a successful return to Court Rainier III when he partnered Diego Schwartzman to a 6-4, 7-5 win against Oliver Marach and Luke Saville. Fognini, the 2019 singles champion in Monte-Carlo, and Schwartzman won 81 per cent of their service points (30/37) during the first-round clash.

Cristian Garin and Guido Pella rallied from a set down to beat Jamie Murray and Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-5. Henri Kontinen and Edouard Roger-Vasselin also made it through to the next round with a 6-4, 6-4 win against alternates Alexander Bublik and Dusan Lajovic.

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