Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters – Day 6
Thursday April 20.
Third seed and 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka will meet No. 16 seed Pablo Cuevas for a place in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters quarter-finals after he beat Jiri Vesely on Wednesday 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 in 84 minutes for his 20th match win at the Monte-Carlo County Club.
Pablo Carreno Busta, the No. 13 seed, who finished runner-up to Thiem in the Rio de Janeiro final earlier this year, will play second seed and 2013/15 champion Novak Djokovic after he knocked out #NextGenATP Russian Karen Khachanov 6-4, 6-4 in 88 minutes.
World No. 1 Andy Murray made a welcome return to the ATP World Tour on Wednesday afternoon when he improved to 6-0 lifetime against Gilles Muller in a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 victory in one hour and 56 minutes for a place in the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters third round.
Murray, a three-time semi-finalist at the tournament, had not played since 12 March due to a right elbow injury and is bidding to capture his 15th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title this week. He will now challenge No. 15 Albert Ramos-Vinolas, who booked his place in the third round for the first time with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over qualifier Carlos Berlocq in 80 minutes.
Elsewhere, fifth seed Marin Cilic avenged his recent Miami loss to Jeremy Chardy, a wild card entry this week, by winning 25 of his 27 first service points and hitting nine aces for a 6-3, 6-0 win in 66 minutes.
Cilic, the 2015 quarter-finalist, now takes on ninth seed and 2015 runner-up Tomas Berdych, who was also solid on serve, to record his 20th match win at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament in beating beat the oldest player in the draw, 39-year-old former World No. 2 Tommy Haas, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in one hour and 54 minutes.
Rafael Nadal opened his account at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Wednesday at the start of his attempt to capture a 10th crown in the Principality. The fourth seed, who improved to 59-4 at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament, did not have things his own way after a stunning first-set performance against Kyle Edmund in a 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 victory that lasted two hours and 19 minutes.
Many have been humbled on clay by Nadal, but Edmund continued to vary his game in an attempt to figure out a way into his first meeting against the ‘King of Clay’. Nadal so often closed the door with deft flicks and incredible pace off his forehand in the opening set, and, in losing just three points on serve, it was the 10th bagel set that Nadal has dished out at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.
It was the 400th match of Nadal’s illustrious career on red dirt (366-34), and he has the best winning percentage on the surface (.915) in the Open Era.
Earlier in the day, this year’s Open Sud de France titlist Zverev defeated Nadal’s compatriot Feliciano Lopez 6-0, 6-4 in 60 minutes.
Results of the previous day of the tournament:
And here is the order of games for April 20:
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Sources: montecarlotennismasters.com, www.montecarlosbm.com, www.atpworldtour.com
