Monte Carlo - second round complete

Day Four of main draw action in Monaco, and the second round was completed. One big upset and all matches decided in straight sets.

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

Second round results 

- Kei Nishikori (5) v Pierre-Hugues Herbert

Nishikori had won both of the previous two clashes between the pair, most recently in Rotterdam in February this year, after dropping the first set. Herbert was attempting to win his first match on clay against a top ten player, failing three times before.

Herbert served first and began well with two overhead winners in a comfortable hold. Nishikori replied with a love game, an ace amongst the four points won. Nishikori’s forehand winner was the only hurdle to clear for Herbert moving to a 2-1 advantage. The Japanese #1 levelled following another solid service game, Herbert’s backhand return winner not withstanding. 

Seemingly out of nowhere, Herbert found himself down three break points in game five, Nishikori forcing errors through accurate placement. The Frenchman saved all of these, and another, to be ahead 3-2. 

Nishikori was taken to deuce in both of his next two service games, while Herbert was happy to deliver a love game in between, and the pair were 4-4.

Herbert then struck more trouble. After starting with an ace, errors flowed off the French racquet and he faced a break point. Nishikori hit the net with two backhands and Herbert had game point. That vanished, and a double fault presented Nishikori with break point #2 for the game. A forehand down the line winner eliminated that and Herbert held serve for 5-4.

At 5-6, Nishikori produced two unforced forehand errors, one into the net, the next wide. A Herbert forehand winner brought up the first break points against the Nishikori serve in the match, in fact set points. A Japanese backhand pushed wide gave Herbert the set 7-5.

Last years runner-up had 6 break chances in the set and converted none, while Herbert used the very first opportunity he had to advantage.

For nine games in set two, serves were held, although each player had problems at one stage or another. In the opening game, Herbert was down 0-40, but won the next five points to avoid disaster, and in game four Nishikori brushed off 30-40 to level at 2-2. Similarly, in the ninth game, Herbert faced a break point at 30-40, but survived.

Serving at 4-5 to stay in the match, Nishikori worked to 30-15. However, he failed to win another point and Pierre-Hugues Herbert ousted the 2018 finalist 7-5 6-4.

- Taylor Fritz defeated Diego Schwartzman 6-4 6-2

- Daniil Medvedev (10) defeated Radu Albot 6-1 6-2

- Stefanos Tsitsipas (6) defeated Mikhail Kukushkin 6-3 7-5

- Dominic Thiem (4) defeated Martin Klizan 6-1 6-4

- Dusan Lajovic defeated David Goffin (16) 6-3 6-4

- Cameron Norrie defeated Marton Fucsovics 7-6(3) 6-3

- Fabio Fognini (13) was handed a walkover by Gilles Simon 

- Alexander Zverev (3) defeated wildcard Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-1 6-4

- Grigor Dimitrov defeated Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(2) 6-4

- Rafa Nadal (2) defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 6-1 6-1

Round of sixteen match ups 

Novak Djokovic (1) v Taylor Fritz 

Daniil Medvedev (10) v Stefanos Tsitsipas (6)

Dominic Thiem (4) v Dusan Lajovic 

Cameron Norrie v qualifier Lorenzo Sonego 

Pierre-Hugues Herbert v Borna Coric (9)

Fabio Fognini (13) v Alexander Zverev (3)

Guido Pella v Marco Cecchinato (11)

Grigor Dimitrov v Rafa Nadal (2)