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For both Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas it was a welcome return to the Principality were both have won the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters twice, the Serbian back in 2013 and 2015 while the Greek is the current champion having retained the title last year.
I had never seen him play before today, and it’s always difficult to face an opponent you don’t know Novak Djokovic
Djokovic the top seed, advanced past Russian qualifier Ivan Gakhov 7-6(5) 6-2 while Tsitsipas, seeded two, went though much more comfortably when leading 4-1 when his French Opponent, Benjamin Bonzi, retired with a wrist injury.
For the world No.1 Djokovic, it was a nervy start as he dropped serve early to trail 4-3 but immediately got back on course and in the eventual tie-break took control as he followed winning the openings set by rolling through the second where he dropped just six points on serve.
“It was probably, if you can call it this way, an ugly tennis win for me today,” Djokovic said on court after the 107-minute contest. “I haven’t played my best, particularly in the first set. And I kind of expected that that was going to happen in a way with swirly conditions, a lot of wind today, changing directions.
“It’s different practicing and then playing an official match on clay, I guess no two bounces are the same. It’s always quite unpredictable what’s going to happen. But all in all, I’m just pleased with the way I held my nerves I think in the important moments, and I managed to clinch the two-set win.”
Djokovic added: “I had never seen him play before today, and it’s always difficult to face an opponent you don’t know.”
Meanwhile Tstsipas, following his opponent’s retirement after 22-minutes, said: “A great start out there. A 3-0 lead, I will always take it.
“Happy to be back on the terre bateau of Monte-Carlo. It’s a very unique location during the year and I’m happy this is the time of the year we get to play on these courts. It brings back very good memories.
Injured, Benjamin Bonzi abandons his opening match with Stefanos Tsitsipas
Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
“It’s very unfortunate what happened out there for my opponent. I wish him the best moving forward.”
Also through to the third round is the fifth seeded Russian, a former finalist, Andrey Rublev who downed Spain’s Jaume Munar 4-6 6-2 6-2 while his compatriot, the ninth-seeded Karen Khachanov, dispatched Spain’s former semi-finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2 6-2 in 75-minutes to reach round two.
“The feeling was, ‘No way, I might be out in the first round of Monaco’,” the 25-year-old Rublev commented,
In other first round action the 13th seed, Germany’s Alexander Zverev eliminated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik 3-6 6-2 6-4.
![gettyimages-1481360504-594x594]( https://i0.wp.com/tennisthreads.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/gettyimages-1481360504-594x594-1.jpg?fit=594%2C417&ssl=1 )
Alexander Zverev delighted at securing his first win on clay since last year’s disastrous French Open injury
Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Zverev made a hesitant start which wasn’t surprising bearing in mind the terrible ankle injury he suffered when playing Rafa Nadal in last year’s French Open.
“It felt awful at times to be honest,” Zverev said following his win which took just under two hours to complete.
“It usually takes me five or 10 minutes to get used to a clay court, but this year was a bit different. I needed to get the injury out of my head. I needed to get used to sliding again.”
Zverev, a two-time Monte Carlo semi-finalist, will next play Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the third round, after the Spaniard outlasted Serbia Lucky Loser Filip Krajinovic 5-7,7-6(10) 6-1.
Italian Lorenzo Sonego, seeded 16, saved four match points to beat French qualifier Ugo Humbert 3-6 7-5 7-5 and plays third seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
Also through to the second round is Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov who got the better of the 20-year-old American Ben Shelton 6-1 3-6 6-3.
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