Aprill 11, (THEWILL) – Novak Djokovic overcame a tough challenge from Russian qualifier, Ivan Gakhov, to make it through to the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters and it was a day of tough fixtures all around.
Djokovic, who had not played since early March due to his COVID-19 unvaccinated status, struggled to find his rhythm on the clay court but eventually secured a 7-6(5) 6-2 victory. Although he was pleased with the win, the world number one admitted that he was not at his best and that the conditions had been unpredictable.
Meanwhile, German Alexander Zverev, who suffered an ankle injury during his French Open semi-final in 2022, made a successful return to clay with a first-round win against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. However, there were absences from the tournament, including Spain’s Rafael Nadal, who has won a record 11 titles at Monte Carlo but is still recovering from a hip injury sustained during the Australian Open.
Second seed Stefanos Tstitsipas also made it through to the third round with ease after Frenchman, Benjamin Bonzi, abandoned their match due to a wrist injury. The Monte Carlo Masters will continue with more exciting matches as the remaining players battle it out on the clay courts.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
