Novak Djokovic reduced a “horrible” performance while he collapsed from Monte Carlo’s masters during his opening match on Wednesday, while Carlos Alcaraz organized a response for his first victory in the tournament. The Djokovic, fifth, had a hard time finding its pace in a defeat of 6-3, 6-4 against Alejandro Chilean Tabilo in the second round, making an inauguable start of its clay season. Djokovic, 37, entered the tournament hindered by an eye infection that has troubled him from the semi-finals of Miami at the end of March and admitting that he did not have “very high” expectations for Monte Carlo.
As it happened, a slow performance made Tabilo, who also beat Djokovic on Clay during the Italian Open from last year in Rome, encountered little difficulty in demanding a rare 2-0 record of 2-0 against the Grand Slam winner.
“It was actually more like the worst day (at the office),” said Djokovic. “I was hoping that it was not going to happen, but it was a fairly high probability that I will play in this way.
“Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way, and just sorry for all the people who must witness this.”
The Serbian, who continues his 100th ATP title, has not won a tournament since he took gold at the Paris Olympic Games from last year.
Djokovic has brushed all fitness concerns and said his main objective for the clay season was the French Open. He should play Madrid later this month for the first time since 2022.
“I expected that I have at least a decent performance. Not like that. It was horrible,” said Djokovic, who only reached the semi-finals of Monte Carlo once the last of her two main titles in 2015.
“I didn’t really have any expectations.
Tabilo, classified 32 in the world, will face Grigor Dimitrov Bulgarian in the last 16.
“It was a difficult year, so a bit of the nerves were there,” said Tabilo, who won consecutive victories at the level of the tour since August. “It was an unreal match.”
“ Aggression ” Alcaraz
Alcaraz, meanwhile, won his very first victory for Monte Carlo when he came from a set down to win his second round match against Francisco Cerundolo 3-6, 6-0, 6-1.
After a mixed American tour, with a semi-final at Indian Wells and an early defeat against David Goffin in Miami, the 21-year-old Spaniard made a successful return to clay.
His only previous appearance in Monte Carlo in 2022 ended with a defeat in three sets by Sebastian Korda.
Alcaraz, ranked three in the world, took slow start against the animated Argentinian who survived him during cross -gatherings.
After winning an early break, Alcaraz abandoned four games in a row, which was enough for Cerundolo to continue and take the set.
From that moment, however, everything was Alcaraz. He dropped only one match in the next two sets while he was heading for victory in an hour and 38 minutes.
“I haven’t started well,” said Alcaraz.
“I made a lot of mistakes and let him play inside the courtyard, dominating the points.
“I just knew that I had to do something else, play more aggressively and play my own tennis: drop the shots, go to the net and show more assault.
“The most important change was the return, I tried to come back closer to the line and push it.”
The second seeded reserved itself on a last date against the German Daniel Altmaier, 84th in the world, who saw the French veteran Richard Gasquet 7-5, 5-7, 6-2.
Gasquet, 38, playing for the last time in Monte Carlo, received a warm reception of the crowd that has been watching him since he made his debut in tournament as a 15 -year -old joker in 2002.
“I started with (Andre) Agassi and I will finish with Alcaraz,” said Gasquet who will withdraw from the circuit after the French Open.
“It’s a difference of almost 40 years, it’s huge.”
The fourth seeded Casper Ruud, last year’s finalist, swept away Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 6-1, while the champion in 2023 Andrey Rublev beat Gael Monfils in two sets.
Daniil Medvedev, Alex de Minaur, Arthur son and Lorenzo Musetti also advanced among the seeds.
(This story has not been published by NDTV staff and is automatically generated from a unionized flow.)
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