Monte Carlo Masters begins

The biggest clay court event so far in 2017 is underway - the Masters 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo.  Roger Federer has decided to give others an opportunity to win a piece of silverware by skipping this, and we are privileged to have Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic back to take the top two seedings.

They, together with the rest of the top eight seeds have been granted first round byes.

Novak already knows his second round opponent as Gilles Simon defeated Malek Jaziri  in one of three first round matches completed on Day One.

Elsewhere, the WTA tour continues in Zhengzhou, China, where 24 of the 32 women in the draw are either Chinese or Japanese.  Shuai Peng, ranked 40 in the world, is top seed.

In results from the last week, 17 year old Marketa Vondrousova won her first WTA title in her first final, defeating Anett Kontaveit in a close tussle 6-4 7-6 in Biel/Bienne.

Kontaveit moves 25 spots to 74 in the world and Vondrousova jumps from 233 to 117.

Steve Johnson won his nation's clay court championship in Houston, but was taken the distance by Thomaz Bellucci 6-4 4-6 7-6 (5).

Borna Coric won his first ATP title by outlasting Philipp Kohlschreiber in three sets in Marrakech.

Kohlschreiber led 7-5 3-0 before Coric made the first of his comebacks to take the second set in a tiebreak 7 points to 3.  In the decider, Kohlschreiber once more seemed set for victory leading 4-2, but couldn't deny the Croatian his special day.

Coric won 5-7 7-6 7-5, and with the win finds himself back in the top fifty.