Lorenzo Musetti came back from one set down to beat Jiri Lehecka 1-6 7-5 6-2 in two hours and 18 minutes to reach the third round at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters for the fourth consecutive year.
Lehecka came back from 15-40 down to earn his first break in the third game for 2-1. The Czech player earned a double break at 15 in the fifth game to open up a 4-1 lead.
Musetti earned two break-back points in the sixth game, but Lehecka won six consecutive points from 15-40 down to hold serve.
Lehecka closed out the first set 6-1 with his third break at 15 in the seventh game after 32 minutes.
Lehecka saved three break points at the start of the second set (one in the first game and two in the third game). Musetti broke serve at 30 in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead, but Lehecka broke straight back at 30 in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Musetti wasted three break points in the seventh game before saving a break point in the eighth game. The Italian player came back by winning 12 consecutive points from 0-30 down to hold serve in the 10th game.
Musetti broke at love in the 11th game before serving out at love to close out the second set 7-5 after 63 minutes.
Musetti converted his second break point at deuce in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. He wasted two break point in the fifth game before earning his double break on his fourth opportunity in the seventh game to take a 5-2 lead. The Olympic bronze medallist served out the third set 6-2 with a hold at love in the eighth game. Musetti set up an all-Italian third round match against Matteo Berrettini, who beat Alexander Zverev. Musetti is 1-1 level in his two head-to-head matches against Berrettini.
Andrey Rublev fired 22 winners in his 6-4 7-6 (7-4) win over Gael Monfils in 1 hour and 44 minutes to reach the third round. Rublev has improved his lead to 3-1 in his head-to-head matches against Monfils.
Both players went on serve until the 10th game when Rublev earned his third break point to win the first set 6-4.
Monfils broke serve in the third game of the second set to take a 2-1 lead. Rublev broke straight back in the fourth game to draw level to 2-2. Monfils broke for the second time in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead. Rublev converted his seventh break-back point in the 10th game to draw level to 5-5 after saving four set points. Rublev earned an early mini-break to take a 2-0 lead in the tie-break. Monfils pulled back on serve to draw level to 2-2. Rublev reeled off five consecutive points to win the tie-break 7-2.
Rublev won his 17th tour-level in Doha, but lost in his opening matches at Indian Wells and Miami.
Rublev beat Holger Rune to claim his first Masters 1000 title in Monte-Carlo in 2023. The Russian player set up a third-round against Arthur Fils, who beat last week’s Bucharest winner Flavio Cobolli 6-2 6-4 in 71 minutes to reach the third round in Monte-Carlo for the first time. The Frenchman reached two consecutive Masters 1000 quarter finals in Indian Wells and Miami.
Fils converted his third break point in the first game of the opening set and held serve at 30 to take a 2-0 lead. The Frenchman went up a double break in the fifth game and held serve at 15 to race out to a 5-1 lead. Cobolli saved two set points to hold serve at deuce in the seventh game, but Fils served out the first set 6-2 with a hold at love in the eighth game.
Cobolli earned two break points in the sixth game of the second set, but Fils saved them to hold serve at deuce for 3-3. Fils broke serve at 30 in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and served out the win on his second match point.
Casper Ruud beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2 6-1 to reach the third round.
Ruud broke serve in the fourth round of the ato take a 3-1 lead. Bautista Agut saved three break points to hold serve after three deuces in the sixth game. Ruud closed out the first set with a break on his second set point.
Ruud broke serve in the second and fourth games and served out the win on his first match point.
Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 to set up a third round match against this year’s Indian Wells champion Jack Draper. Davidovich Fokina, who finished runner-up to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Monte-Carlo in 2022, hit 29 winners to Etcheverry’s 15.
Davidovich Fokina has a record of 16 wins to 8 unforced errors and reached two finals in Delray Beach and Indian Wells.
Alex De Minaur came back from one set down to beat Tomas Machac 3-6 6-0 6-0. Machac broke in the fourth game to win the first set 6-3. De Minaur broke three times to take bagel wins in the second and third set.
