This Saturday the preliminary stage of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 begins, and it does so with a last-minute surprise. The absence due to injury of Frenchman Arthur Cazaux opened the door for Roberto Bautistawho will debut against Dominic Thiem in the great match of the day.
The player from Castellón became the second Spaniard in the preliminary stage of the Monegasque tournament, along with Jaume Munar, who will face Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp.
Two more Spaniards await in the main draw: Carlos Alcaraz and Alejandro Davidovich. The Murcian starts as third seed in what will be his second participation, after debuting in 2022 with a loss against American Sebastian Korda.
The loss of second place in the world ranking, which the Italian Jannik Sinner took from him as the champion of the Miami ATP Masters 1000, had consequences for the Murcian in the main draw.
In the theoretical semifinals he has to face Serbian Novak Djokovic, who recently got to join him in the final because he was 1 and 2 in the pots. The final, according to world order, belongs to Jannik Sinner. But if the Spaniard should be careful, a path full of traps awaits in the Balkans and the transalpine.
Alcaraz will have a solid path at the start, along with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime or a player from a consistently strong qualifying round as a debut. In the third round, round of 16, a predictable clash with Frenchman Ugo Humbert. For the quarterfinals, as the main seed, the Norwegian Casper Ruud (8), double finalist at Roland Garros.
The semis, with Djokovic, if the Serbian regains his tennis, and the final, against the Italian Jannik Sinner or the Russian Daniil Medvedevtwo of the best on the hard court and there are unknowns to clear up on clay, despite the fact that the Muscovite is the current champion of Rome and the transalpine seems to be in a position to take a step forward on clay as well.
Source: La Verdad
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