TENNIS – The Draw of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Master, the first European clay tournament of the season, was held today in Monte-Carlo. Novak Djokovic has been drawn in the same half as eighth-time Monte-Carlo champion Rafa Nadal and the two top stars could square off against in the semifinal. Roger Federer could face Stan Wawrinka in the quarter final, which could be a possible re-match of last year’s All-Swiss final. Diego Sampaolo
The Monte-Carlo Rolex Master will start on Sunday in the famous Country Club in Roquebrun Cap St. Martin, The impressive field features Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and eight-time Monte-Carlo champion Rafa Nadal who have won a total of 72 Master 1000 titles and 16 of the top-20 players in the ATP Ranking and 8 of the top 10.
Top Half – First Quarter: Djokovic – Cilic
World Number 1 Novak Djokovic, who won his only title in the Monte-Carlo Country Club in 2011 after beating Rafa Nadal in the final, will start against Nicolas Almagro or a qualifier in the second round before a possible fascinating third-round match against either Bernard Tomic or Ernests Gulbis. Nole could face either last year’s US Open champion Marin Cilic or Jo-Wilfred Tsonga in the quarter finals.
Tsonga, who reached the semifinal last year, will open against Sam Querrey, who reached the semifinals in Houston this week.
In the second round Cilic will meet the winner of the first round match between Mikhail Youzhny and Florian Mayer.
Djokovic is bidding to become the first player to win all the first three tournaments of the year after clinching the Indian Wells-Miami double. He has been draw in the same top-half as Monte-Carlo King Rafa Nadal, who clinched this title eight times.
“It’s always exciting to play a tournament in the place where you spend most of your time when you are not in the tournaments. It’s a bike ride or a walk to the tennis club from my home, so it is a special feeling. After the great run I had in Indian Wells and Miami, I could not ask a better start to the season. Hopefully I will be able to turn that confidence from the first three or four months of the year into this week”, said Djokovic.
Top Half – Second Quarter: Nadal – Ferrer
Rafa Nadal will start against the winner of the second round match between Dominic Thiem and Lucas Pouille from France. Nadal could be on collision course against US giant John Isner (semifinalist in Miami) in the third round before meeting. Isner will have to face Steve Johnson in the first round and either Martin Klizan or Viktor Troicki in the second round
David Ferrer for a possible quarter final clash. Ferrer, winner of three titles in Doha, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco earlier this year, could face a second-round match against Italian Simone Bolelli who will start against Victor Estrella Burgos. Ferrer could meet Frenchman Giles Simon in the third round.
Bottom Half – Third Quarter: Berdych – Raonic
Canadian Milos Raonic, who is another resident in Monaco and reached his best result last year when he advanced to the quarter finals where he lost to eventual winner Wawrinka, could meet Adrian Mannarino in the third round. The Frenchman will have first to beat the winner of the match between Andreas Seppi and Tommy Robredo.
Tomas Berdych, who reached the semifinals in this tournament twice in 2007 and 2012, will start his campaign against either Sergiy Stakhovskiy or Pablo Carreno Busta before meeting Phillip Kohlschreiber and Roberto Bautista Agut in the next rounds
Bottom Half – Fourth Quarter: Federer – Wawrinka
The fourth quarter in the bottom half of the draw could feature a potential quarter final clash between Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka in a re-match of last year’s All-Swiss final.
Federer will start with a second-round match against Frenchman Jeremy Chardy, who beat the Swiss Maestro last year in Rome. Federer could clash against the winner of the clash between Aleksander Dolgopolov and Croatian teenager Borna Coric in what is expected to be one of the most exciting first-round match-ups.
Monte-Carlo defending champion Wawrinka will face a second-round match against either Jiri Vesely or Juan Monaco. Vesely, who won the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award in 2013, reached the semifinal in Casablanca this week.before possibly meeting Grigor Dimitrov in a spectacular third round match, if the Bulgarian beats Fernando Verdasco in the first round and the winner of the second round between 2013 Monte-Carlo semifinalist Fabio Fognini and Jerzy Janowicz.
“Last year was really special. It was my first Master 1000 title. Beating Roger Federer in the final crowned an amazing week. I am really happy to be back in the tournament. It’s a special tournament and I think all the players enjoy playing here”, said Wawrinka.
