Day 3 at the Monte Carlo Masters saw World No. 1 Novak Djokovic battle through Philipp Kohlschreiber in three tough sets. It was Djokovic\u2019s first clay court win of the season, and almost certainly not his last. Will World No. 2 Rafael Nadal also advance in Monte Carlo? Read on to find out!<\/p>\n
Head to Head:<\/strong> 2-0 Nishikori<\/p>\n One of the first matches of the day features World No. 6 Kei Nishikori taking on Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert. This will be Nishikori\u2019s first match on clay this season, having struggled during the Sunshine Double. In fact, Nishikori only won one match between the two tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, going 1-2 over that span. After starting the season on such a high in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Rotterdam, Nishikori is suddenly struggling to find form.<\/p>\n Struggling to find form is something that Herbert has struggled with recently. He has not won consecutive matches since Montpellier in February. However, today, Herbert picked up a huge straight set win over Fernando Verdasco, proving that he will provide Nishikori with a stern test. However, in their previous two matchups, Herbert has been only able to get a set, although both matches were on hard courts. This match will come down to whether Herbert can serve well enough to keep sets close, and if he can attack the Nishikori second serve. If Herbert can do that, then he can win this match. However, I don\u2019t think he will execute at a high enough level and Nishikori will force Herbert into too many long rallies for the Frenchman\u2019s taste.<\/p>\n Prediction: Nishikori in 3<\/em><\/p>\n