Auger-Aliassime to face world No. 3 Alcaraz after opening win at Monte Carlo Masters
Canadian posts 22 winners, only 9 unforced errors Monday against Italian opponent
Montreal's Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Luca Nardi of Italy 6-2, 6-3 in the first round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Monday, setting up a match against world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz.
Auger-Aliassime, ranked 35th in the world, needed just 82 minutes to defeat the 20-year-old Nardi on the clay courts of Court Rainier III in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France. It was the first-ever meeting between the two players.
Nardi, ranked 76th, committed four double faults, twice as many as Auger-Aliassime, and failed to convert any break points against the Canadian. Auger-Aliassime capitalized on three of seven break opportunities.
Auger-Aliassime also recorded 22 winners and only nine unforced errors on his way to the second round.
"It is not the Masters where I have had the most success, even though I train here and live here. But it is a good start to the week," Auger-Aliassime said. "I am really happy with my level, taking control of the match and staying composed and taking care of business."
WATCH | Auger-Aliassime posts straight-sets victory in France:
He sealed the match with his first match point and will face Alcaraz on Tuesday.
Auger-Aliassime holds a 3-2 career record against the Spaniard. However, Alcaraz has won their last two encounters, including one in the third round of the Indian Wells Masters in California last month.
WATCH l Alcaraz tops Auger-Aliassime at Indian Wells in March:
2-time champ Tsitsipas, Dimitrov advance
Two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced to the second round after Laslo Djere of Serbia retired with an injury during the second set.
The 12th-seeded Tsitsipas was leading 6-3, 3-2 when his unseeded opponent pulled out with an unspecified injury. Djere walked up to the net during the changeover and shook hands with Tsitsipas.
The big-serving Greek won the title in 2021 and went on to reach the French Open final that year, losing a five-set match against Novak Djokovic. He followed up with another Monte Carlo trophy in 2022 but went out at the quarterfinal stage last year. Tsitsipas next faces Nicolas Jarry of Chile or Tomas Etcheverry of Argentina.
Ninth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov had little trouble beating local player Valentin Vacherot of Monaco, targeting his opponent's weaker backhand in a 7-5, 6-2 win. The 32-year-old Bulgarian is chasing his second title of the year and improved to 21-5 overall.
Dimitrov next plays either Matteo Berrettini, who on Sunday won the Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco, or Miomir Kecmanovic.
Djokovic is looking to win Monte Carlo for the third time but first since 2015.
Sinner player to beat?
The top-ranked Serb hasn't made it past the quarterfinals since then, and he could face Rublev in the quarters.
Wtih record 11-time Monte Carlo champion Rafael Nadal out with an injury, second-ranked Jannik Sinner is becoming the player to beat.
The Australian Open champion from Italy is 22-1 with three titles in 2024, including the Miami Open, where he dominated against Dimitrov in the final.
Djokovic faces Roman Safiullin or Jaume Munar, while Sinner will take on American Sebastian Korda or Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The presence of Alcaraz and former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev means the top four men's players are all in action, with byes into the second round.
Djokovic has surpassed another tennis record once held by Roger Federer, becoming the oldest man to be ranked No. 1 in the ATP Tour's computerized rankings.
Djokovic is 36 — he turns 37 next month — and is now older than Federer was on his last day atop the rankings in June 2018. Monday gives Djokovic 420 total weeks at that spot, extending another mark Federer (who was there for 310 weeks) had at one time before Djokovic broke it.
Djokovic's 24 Grand Slam singles titles also are the most by a man in tennis history and the most by anyone in the Open era, which began in 1968. Federer broke Pete Sampras's men's record of 14 major championships and retired with 20, before Rafael Nadal (now with 22) and Djokovic overtook him.
In other action Monday:
- No. 14 Ugo Humbert rallied to beat Federico Coria 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 and No. 15 Karen Khachanov saved two set points before downing Britain's Cameron Norrie 7-5, 7-6 (3) in a contest featuring nine breaks of serve.
- Alexei Popyrin of Australia next faces defending champion Rublev after winning 3-6, 7-5, 6-2 against French qualifier Corentin Moutet.
- Sebastian Ofner of Austria won 6-1, 6-4 against Britain's Dan Evans and will play fifth-seeded Alexander Zverev, a French Open semifinalist in 2022. Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal rallied to beat Matteo Arnaldi 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 to set up a meeting with seventh-seeded Holger Rune, last year's runner-up.
With files from The Associated Press
