TENNIS . Aleksander Dolgopolov edged Croatian rising star Borna Coric in three sets with 7-5 5-7 6-2 after two hours and 13 minutes in the most interesting match of the Monday programme at the Monte-Carlo Country Club. Dolgopolov fended off ten of the fourteen break points he faced. Diego Sampaolo
Borna Coric, World Number 54, made his first appearance in a Master 1000 Tournament on clay after reaching the second round at both Indian Wells and Miami. Dolgopolov, who dropped 48 positions in the Ranking and is now ranked World Number 71, played his best tennis on his favourite surface
Both players traded breaks in the first set. Coric dropped his serve at 1-1 but he broke back to draw level to 4-4 but he did not manage to hold his serve. Dolgopolov played a very aggressive 11th game on his return and broke serve for 6-5 before serving for the set to win it 7-5.
Coric got an early break in the second set but Dolgopolov broke back to draw level to 2-2. The set went on serve until the 12th game when Coric broke serve after Dolgopolov committed some unforced errors.
Dolgopolov got a double break for 2-0 and 4-1 en route to clinching the decider with 6-2.
Fabio Fognini, semifinalist in Monte-Carlo in 2013, cruised past former Wimbledon semifinalist Jerzy Janowicz 6-3 6-1. Both players traded breaks in the opening five games of the first set until 3-2 for Fognini. Fognini got another break to seal the first set with 6-3 in 26 minutes . Both players committed 15 unforced errors. Janowicz won just 36 percent of his first serve points.
In the second set Fognini converted on his third break point in the fourth game for 3-1. Fognini had to save another break point in the fifth game to pull away to 4-1 en route to cruising to a easy 6-1 in just 57 minutes. Fognini reeled off five consecutive games in the second set and clinched the win on his first opportunity.
Fognini hit 20 winners to 24 unforced errors. Janowicz produced 7 winners to 28 unforced errors. Janowicz lost for the third time in the first round in Monte-Carlo
Fognini will face the winner of Tuesday’s match between Grigor Dimitrov and Fernando Verdasco.
wenty-year-old Austrian player Andreas Haider Maurer dropped just one game in his 6-1 6-0 win over Ernest Gulbis who has won just once in nine matches and suffered seven first-round defeats this year. Gulbis brought up three break points in the second game of the second set but he failed to convert them.
Gulbis hired his new coach Thomas Enqvist. They started working together one week ago.
“Everything is new to me. Thomas is a very smart and intelligent guy who understands tennis. I think it’s still a lot to get to know each other. It’s just a matter of time. Off-season was not great because of shoulder problems. I got sick at the beginning of the year for 10 days. Slowly this lack of confidence has started to play on”, said Gulbis.
Haider Maurer will take on Bernard Tomic who fought back from a set down to edge Lukas Rosol 4-6 6-2 6-3. The Austrian player has reached his career high in the ATP Ranking after reaching the quarter finals in Casablanca last week.
John Isner hit 13 aces to defeat his compatriot Steve Johnson 6-4 6-4 in the all-American first round match. The US giant will take on the winner of the match between Victor Troicki and Martin Klizan, who won his third title last week in Casablanca.
Joao Sousa overcame Edouard Roger Vasselin with 6-1 3-6 6-0 to set up a match against Milos Raonic.
Sergiy Stakovskiy saved five of the seven break points he faced in his 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 6-4 win over Pablo Carreno Busta.
German Phillip Kohlschreiber beat Kazakh Michail Kukushkin 6-4 6-4 setting up a second round match against Roberto Bautista Agut who needed just 52 minutes to beat Benjamin Becker 6-0 6-2. The Spanish player converted on six of his nine break point chances.
David Goffin eased past Norbert Gombos 6-1 6-4 to score his first main draw match in this tournament.
French qualifier Benoit Paire scored his third win on tour in 2015 as he beat US Denis Kudla 6-3 7-6 (7-3)
In the first three matches of the Sunday programme World Number 56 Victor Estrella Burgos beat Italian Simone Bolelli 6-4 7-6 (7-5). Florian Mayer made his come-back with a 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 win over Mikhail Youzhny.
Thirty-four year-old Victor Estrella Burgos won his first Master 1000 match against Italian Simone Bolelli with 6-4 7-6 (7-5). In the first set Bolelli played a below-par first set in which he won 33 percent of his second serve points. Burgos brought up two break points at 4-4 in the first set Bolelli saved the first break point but Burgos converted the second opportunity for 5-4 before wrapping up the first set on the second set point.
In the second set Estrella Burgos earned a break point at 4-4 and converted it. Bolelli broke straight back in the next game. The second set came down to the tie-break where Bolelli opened up a 5-3 lead. The Italian dropped his serve twice giving Burgos the opportunity to serve for the match. Burgos earned the match point and converted it without problems for 7-5. Estrella Burgos will take on David Ferrer in the second round.
Albert Ramos eased past lucky loser Robin Haase 6-1 6-1 setting up a second round against 2013 Monte-Carlo champion Novak Djokovic in the second round.
