Tsitsipas starts his defense; Fritz, to the limit against the 430th in the world

Djokovic and Davidovich monopolize all the surprises. The bombshell of a day within the forecasts in Monte Carlo. Stefanos Tsitispas, 5th in the world and current champion of the tournament, despaired Fabio Fognini (32nd), former king in Monaco, with a 6-3 and 6-0; Lorenzo Sonego (26th) beat Ilya Ivashka (44th) by a double 6-3 and Taylor Fritz (13th), another of the big names of the day, sweated it out against Lucas Catarina, a guest and 430th, but he finished in three sets (6-7(6), 7-6(5) and 6-4). Daniel Evans (27th), with a 6-0 and 7-6(4), also asserted his ranking against Benjamin Bonzi (63rd). Not so Benoit Paire (61st), unable to beat Lorenzo Musetti who, despite his lower ATP position (83rd), did have more arguments in his favour. In the round of 16, three names: that of Davidovich and Tsitsipas themselves along with that of a Grigor Dimitrov (29th) who came from behind against Dusan Lajovic (4-6, 6-3 and 6-2).

With all this, the Greek player, who in the round of 16 will face Sonego himself or Laslo Djere (62nd), begins the defense of his title with solvency. With authority and unhinging an important rival. Desperate and outmatched from the start, Fognini threw the racket several times, unable to contain his disapproving gestures (towards himself). and left the Court Rainier with a face of few friends. The normal, almost the natural, after only being able to win three games against a Tsitsipas simply and simply superior in everything. In the serve (69% of points with first and 65% with seconds), to the rest (54% points won to the return after first serve by 31%) and, above all, in moments of truth: both players faced seven break ballswith six saved by Stefanos and only two by Fabio.

Fritz, to the limit

A placid afternoon on one side and a great effort on the other. Unlike Tsitsipas, Fritz did need to work hard against a Catarina determined to steal some of the limelight from Davidovich. The local player lasted 2 hours and 38 minutes on his feet, forcing the American to come from the beginning, with a break in the first game. Notice launched. First sleeve, for the Monegasque, decided in the tie-break. Like the second, but decanted to the other side. To the limit, because the tiebreaker reached 5-5, two points away from the biggest victory ever for the player who would have become a local hero. It could not be. Taylor advances, who will face Marin Cilic (22nd) in the second round, with Carlos Alcaraz on the horizon. The Spanish prodigy faces Sebastian Korda tomorrow, April 13 (11:00 a.m.). In the second round, the winners of the first two Masters 1,000 of the season (Indian Wells and Miami) could face each other.

Results of the Masters 1,000 of Montecarlo.