There is no better way to kick off the clay court season proper than the first Masters 1000 on the dirt in the Principality of Monaco, where Rafael Nadal has etched his name closer to the Grimaldi dynasty, albeit not as the reigning monarch, but as the reigning champion at the Monte Carlo County Club. The Spaniard will be in action later during the week, but the first day of tournament will feature some intriguing matchups and there will be plenty of good tennis to watch.
ATP Rolex Monte Carlo Masters Day 1 Predictions
Borna Coric vs Hubert Hurkacz
Head To Head: First meeting
2019 has seen the emergence of 22-year-old Hubert Hurkacz on the main tour, with a series of strong performances during the hard court season in the first quarter of the year. Hurkacz upset Kei Nishikori in back-to-back tournaments and eliminated Indian Wells champion Dominic Thiem at the first hurdle in Miami in what promises to be a big year for the man from Poland. After making his Top 100 debut at the back end of last year in which he won two Challenger titles, he is now on the brink of cracking the Top 50. Hurkacz will certainly be carrying some form when he puts his wits against the ninth seed Borna Coric.
The Croat will be pleased to see the first three months of 2019 behind him after making a big breakthrough year in 2018. Coric is a better all-round player than Hurkacz and is certainly the favorite on clay where he won a title before (Marrakech 2017). Hurkacz relies too much on his booming first serve and taking the first strike on his serve. Coric will see very little break point opportunities and it will be key for the ninth seed to stay aggressive on his service games as well. Coric is lacking confidence at the moment and Hurkacz is a nightmare opening round match for him. I expect the young Pole to pile more misery on the World No. 13.
Prediction: Hurkacz in 3
Guido Pella vs Laslo Djere
Head-To-Head: Pella 1-0 Djere
Last meeting: 2019 Sao Paulo (Pella won 7-6 7-6)
The story of Laslo Djere has been a story of desire. The Serbian triumphed in Rio in February and delivered an emotional post match speech in which he explained the struggles of losing his parents and the difficult journey of attaining that success in an ATP 500 event. Djere’s opening match in Monte Carlo will see him face another champion in Brazil. Guido Pella beat the Serb in Sao Paulo a month ago en route to the title. That was as tight an encounter you will see all year with both players posing almost identical serving numbers. Djere will be extra motivated to avenge that loss in Sao Paulo and if he plays anything close to what he produced in Rio, he should see off the Argentine.
Prediction: Djere in 3
Grigor Dimitrov vs Matteo Berrettini
Head To Head: First meeting
Grigor Dimitrov, the Monaco resident, has been a handed a tricky first round match against the powerful Italian Matteo Berrettini. This is the first meeting between the pair and Dimitrov could have his work cut out for him. It will set up a nice contrast in styles. The Italian won the Hungarian Open last year without losing a service game or set all week and that is a measure of how difficult it can be to tame his serve. Dimitrov is not the greatest of returners and his sliced return lacks the zest and imagination of Roger Federer. The Bulgarian is still searching for his best tennis and I feel Berrettini will pounce on a weary Dimitrov.
Prediction: Berrettini in 3
Stan Wawrinka vs Lucas Pouille
Head To Head: First meeting
Former Monte Carlo champion Stan Wawrinka will face off against Frenchman Lucas Pouille in their first ever meeting. Wawrinka has reached at least the quarterfinals on five occasions in the Principality. Lucas Pouille’s form has fallen off a cliff since reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open. The World No.31 has not won a match since his brilliant run Melbourne. This will be a very unpredictable encounter considering Wawrinka is not in great form either. However, Pouille has been playing badly and it is hard to see all of it change in the span of a week.
Prediction: Wawrinka in 2
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