Day Three of main draw action in Monaco, and the first appearance of some of the top eight seeds after first round byes. Meanwhile the remainder of first round matches were completed.
Rolex Monte Carlo Masters - an ATP Masters 1000 category tournament, on Red Clay, in Monte Carlo, Monaco, 14-21 April 2019.
Defending champion:
Rafa Nadal (1) who defeated Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-2
First round results
- Taylor Fritz defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4 2-0 (retired)
- Cameron Norrie defeated Adrian Mannarino 6-3 6-4
- Pierre-Hugues Herbert defeated Fernando Verdasco 6-4 6-4
- Gilles Simon defeated qualifier Alexei Popyrin 7-5 6-1
- Wildcard Felix Auger-Aliassime defeated qualifier Juan Ignacio Londero 7-5 7-6(5)
Second round results
- Qualifier Lorenzo Sonego defeated Karen Khachanov (8) 7-6(4) 6-4
- Guido Pella defeated Marin Cilic (7) 6-3 5-7 6-1
- Borna Coric (9) defeated wildcard Jaume Munar 6-7(3) 7-6(7) 6-4
- Marco Cecchinato (11) defeated Stan Wawrinka 0-6 7-5 6-3
- Novak Djokovic (1) v Philipp Kohlschreiber
Djokovic had stumbled somewhat since triumphing in the Australian Open in January, losing to Bautista Agut in the Miami round of sixteen (his second loss to the Spaniard this year), and a fortnight earlier to Kohlschreiber at Indian Wells, in the third round.
So legitimate questions surrounded the outcome of today’s contest.
Until the loss last month, Djokovic had won six straight matches against Kohlschreiber and his record is currently 8-2 head to head. Amazingly, the pair had only met in Grand Slam (4 times) or Masters 1000 (6) tournaments. Four times at Indian Wells.
Djokovic won the toss and chose to serve, opening impressively with a winning drop shot. A couple of loose points were fixed up with a forcing cross court forehand and eventually a solid hold. Kohlschreiber responded well, beginning and ending with forehand winners. 1-1. Two down the line winners from Germany, a backhand and a forehand, were insufficient to stop Djokovic from moving to 2-1. Djokovic hit a forehand winner down the line, but couldn’t take advantage of 0-30 on the Kohlschreiber serve. A drop shot was not good enough, as Kohlschreiber reached it in time to put away a forehand. Two forehand winners sealed the game and 2-2.
Djokovic found himself in trouble, first hitting a forehand wide. A backhand sailed long, and a double fault presented Kohlschreiber the first break points of the match. A stunning backhand down the line, through a gap where there seemed to be none, saved the first, and a shocking forehand miss by Kohlschreiber brought it to deuce. Djokovic held on, a down the line forehand finishing things. 3-2.
At 3-3, Kohlschreiber once more had chances on the top seeds serve. A double fault saw Djokovic down 15-30, and a backhand failure gave Kohlschreiber two break chances. A forehand winner from Serbia and a forehand pushed wide by Kohlschreiber saw those opportunities go begging. Three game points were wasted before serve was held and Djokovic led 4-3.
Kohlschreiber, with two backhands and a volley going astray, donated Djokovic his first break points of the contest. The first vanished once Kohlschreiber put away a nice volley, but a netted forehand confirmed a service break.
Serving for the set, Djokovic was happy to receive errors from Kohlschreiber and three set points arrived. A winning forehand produced a 6-3 lead for the world #1.
In set two, Kohlschreiber saved two break points in the third game and led 2-1, on serve. However, things went crazy for the next six games where neither player could hold serve. Kohlschreiber had set point serving at 5-3, but double faulted.
Serving at 4-5, with a chance to level, Djokovic hit a great backhand volley to lead 30-0, but then his forehand let him down twice, leading to set point. A poor backhand missed the court by a long way and Kohlschreiber levelled the match 3-6 6-4.
Djokovic, disappointed by the events in set two, opened decisively in the third, breaking Kohlschreiber to love. No time to enjoy that, because the top seed immediately faced break points himself, three non consecutive. Each was saved, the first through a German error, the next via a Serbian forehand winner, the last thanks to a Kohlschreiber backhand miss. Two strong first serves and the break was consolidated. Djokovic 2-0.
For the next five games there was little drama, and Djokovic went to the line serving at 4-3. A Kohlschreiber error gave Djokovic 15-0, meaning he’d won the past 8 points on his own serve, but there it stopped with a double fault. Another double fault, plus a netted forehand and Kohlschreiber had break point. A loose backhand saw it disappear and Djokovic prevailed 5-3.
After leading 30-0, Kohlschreiber fell away and ultimately faced match point at 30-40, Djokovic producing a backhand down the line which could very well be classed as shot of the match. A delightful drop shot saved the day, a forehand winner followed, and Kohlschreiber proceeded to hold serve.
Djokovic served for the match at 5-4 and raced to 40-15, after the initial point was won by Kohlschreiber with a quality overhead. Djokovic played a terrific drop shot en route to the two match points, but he found it difficult to clinch the deal. A wild forehand and a loose backhand brought it to deuce. A fourth match point, third in this game, passed by when a Djokovic backhand hit the net. The fifth time was lucky when a Kohlschreiber backhand return sailed long.
Novak Djokovic survived his first Monte Carlo test in a gruelling encounter 6-3 4-6 6-4. He saved 12 of the 16 break points he faced during the match, and that was the key to the victory.
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