The main draw for the 2016 Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, the first Masters 1000 played on clay in the season, is finally out.
Here is the complete main draw:
(1) Djokovic bye
Vesely vs Gabashvili
Fognini vs Lorenzi
Muller vs (13) Monfils
(11) Goffin vs F.Lopez
(WC) Verdasco vs Delbonis
Zverev vs (WC) Rublev
(7) Ferrer bye
(3) Federer bye
Garcia-Lopez vs Bellucci
Chardy vs Kuznetsov
Ramos vs (14) Bautista-Agut
(9) Gasquet vs Almagro
(WC) Pouille vs Mahut
Q vs Carreno
(8) Tsonga bye
(5) Nadal bye
Rosol vs Bedene
Mannarino vs Q
Q vs (12) Thiem
(15) Simon vs Troicki
Dimitrov vs Q
Kohlschreiber vs Coric
(4) Wawrinka bye
(6) Berdych bye
Haase vs Q
Q vs Cuevas
(WC) Cecchinato vs (10) Raonic
(16) Paire vs Cervantes
Karlovic vs Sousa
Q vs Pella
(2) Murray bye
Possible third round clashes are as follows:
Djokovic-Monfils
Ferrer-Goffin
Federer-Bautista Agut
Tsonga-Gasquet
Nadal-Thiem
Wawrinka-Simon
Berdych-Raonic
Murray-Paire
Let us now analyze each quarter.
Quarter-final Djokovic vs. Ferrer
Looking for a third title in Monte Carlo, Novak Djokovic will make his debut in the second round against either Jiri Vesely or Teymuraz Gabashvili. Following his first match, Djokovic should meet Gael Monfils in the third round, for a clash that on clay could become spectacular. The World No.1 would then set up match-up against David Ferrer.
That said, the Spaniard could find it hard to reach the last 8 in Monte Carlo, considering how he will find already in the second round a rising star like Alexander Zverev to then possibly play against the two-time Masters 1000 semi-finalist this year, the Belgian David Goffin. Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco would try to stop Goffin from going that far.
Quarter-final Federer vs. Tsonga
Roger Federer doesn’t find a tough draw to reach the quarters. The only player who seems really able to challenge the Swiss is Roberto Bautista-Agut, even though a third round against a clay-court expert like Albert Ramos-Vinolas could seem like a trip to memory lane Roger would rather not take.
Tsonga could find a tough resistance on clay already in the second round, in the name of Pablo Carreno-Busta. In the third round Jo would find in an all-French clash his friend Richard Gasquet. Lucas Puille and Nicolas Almagro are also part of this quarter.
Quarter-final Nadal vs. Wawrinka
Rafael Nadal was pitted with a very though route to a possible 9th success in Monte-Carlo. After a possibly easy debut in the tournament against either Lukas Rosol or Aljaz Bedene, Nadal would already find a player who has beaten him on clay this year, the young gun Dominic Thiem.
Wawrinka will have a complicated path to the quarters too, having to start probably against consistent Borna Coric. Stan would then face in the third round one between Gilles Simon, Viktor Troicki and Grigor Dimitrov.
Quarter-final Berdych vs. Murray
Tomas Berdych will make his debut against Robin Haase to then set an interesting third-round match with Milos Raonic.
After his great run throughout the clay court season last year, where he won his first title and first Masters 1000 title in Madrid on the surface, Murray will face tough competition, but not clay court experts, as he will try to reach the quarters facing players such as Ivo Karlovic, Joao Sousa, Inigo Cervantes or Benoit Paire.
