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)