Djokovic, the top favorite in this tournament that is played on clay and distributes prizes of 5,415,410 euros, lost to Davidovich Fokina (46 in the world) in 2 hours and 54 minutes. The Serbian, owner of the record of 37 Masters 1000 titles, arrived in Monte Carlo after a month without playing and without having won a tournament in the season, something that had only happened to him in 2007. “Nole” did not lose in a debut of a Masters 1000 since March 2018.
For not wanting to be vaccinated against coronavirus, the tennis player was allowed to play few tournaments on the circuit (including the first Grand Slam of the year, the Australian Open, by decision of the Melbourne city authorities and in a situation that caused an international conflict). This year, Djokovic only played in Dubai, a tournament in which he lost in the quarterfinals against the Czech Jiri Vesely.
Davidovich will wait for the winner of the match between the Belgian David Goffin (47) and the British Daniel Evans (27) in the round of 16.
In Monte Carlo, on the other hand, the Argentine Diego Schwartzmann (16) will face Hungarian Marton Fucsovics (57) on Wednesday, while his compatriot Frederic Delbonis (34) will face the German Alexander Zverev (3), in matches corresponding to the second round of this Masters 1000.
The “Little” Schwartzman appeared in the Principality last Monday with a tight victory in the initial round over the Russian Karen Khachanov (24) by 7-6 (5), 3-6 and 6-3, and now he will go in search of another success against the Hungarian Fucsovics, with ESPN televising.
The 29-year-old from Buenos Aires played twice against the Hungarian, with a win at Roland Garros 2019 and a loss at Wimbledon 2021. In the case of winning, the “Little One”, a finalist this year at the Argentina Open and in Rio de Janeiro, will meet in the next round with the Canadian Felix Auger Aliassime (9) or the Italian Lorenzo Musetti (83).
Delbonis, for his part, also beat the Spanish Jaume Munar (105) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the opening round, and on Wednesday he will have a very tough rival, the German Zverev, who is now the top favorite to the title after the elimination of Djokovic.
The 31-year-old Azuleño lost to Zverev both times they met, both in 2019 and on clay, at the Geneva and Hamburg ATPs. The winner of the cross between “Delbo” and Zverev will play in the next round against the Spanish Pablo Carreño Busta (19) or the Kazakh Alexander Bublik (36).
The Monte Carlo Masters 1000 had three Argentine champions in its history: Guillermo Vilas in 1976 and 1982; Alberto “Luli” Mancini in 1989 and Guillermo “Mago” Coria in 2004.
Source: Ambito
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