Monte-Carlo Masters Tournament

Rafael Nadal/AP Images

The Monte-Carlo Masters Tournament is underway…how are the ATP men doing on the first clay court Masters of the year?


By Allie Leogrande


Rafael Nadal has won the last seven consecutive Monte-Carlo tournaments. But coming into this year’s Masters in Monaco, the Spaniard is still recovering from a left knee injury. However, this didn’t stop him from defeating Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday in the second round of the tournament. This was Nadal’s first match since the Sony Ericsson Open quarterfinals against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in late March. Nadal withdrew from the semifinal against Andy Murray to nurse and treat his knee. 


Despite the setback, tennis experts still expect Nadal to win early on in the tournament. ESPN.com’s Ravi Ubha wrote Monday, “If the knee continues to bother him, but only slightly, and the match fitness isn't there, Nadal should still be able to cope in the first few rounds. This is clay, where he's been so dominant, after all.” Ubha predicts Nadal will play No.1 Novak Djokovic in the finals, but foresees Djokovic will come out on top. Nadal doesn’t have much time to rest, as he will play Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan on Thursday.

Novak Djokovic had a fairly easy win on Wednesday. The Serb defeated Italy’s Andreas Seppi 6-1, 6-4. Djokovic won the first 4 games in just 19 minutes, but struggled against Seppi in the second set, though he was never in real danger of playing a third set. In the end, Djokovic’s service game helped secure the victory. Djokovic will play the unpredictable, Ukranian Alexandr Dolgopolov on Thursday. Djokovic says to “expect the unexpected” with Dolgopolov. 

“He’s a very talented player, comes up with some shots that are not really typical for a tennis player,” Djokovic said. “He comes up with some drop shots, changes the pace very much. That’s why he’s very dangerous on clay.”

Englishman Andy Murray, will play in the third round on Thursday as well. Some notables to be eliminated already are No. 5 David Ferrer of Spain, who played in the finals at Monte-Carlo last season, and Argentina’s Juan Monaco, who defeated American John Isner in the finals of the U.S. Clay Court Championship Sunday. Monaco played in the first round in Monte-Carlo Tuesday, but retired due to a right ankle injury. The only American singles player in the tournament, 22-year old Donald Young, lost in the first round Monday.  

The Monte-Carlo Masters concludes on Sunday, April 22.