Monte-Carlo Masters: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic suffers early exit, Taylor Fritz survives scare to enter next round
Apr 12, 2022
Monte Carlo [Monaco], April 12 : The World No. 46 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina defeated World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
The World No. 46 Spaniard struck the ball with power and accuracy throughout the second-round clash, recovering from the disappointment of losing a tight second-set tie-break to clinch a 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-1 victory at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
It was Djokovic's first match since his quarter-final defeat to Jiri Vesely at the Dubai Tennis Championships in February and the top seed was given little room to find his feet by his tenacious opponent at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
Davidovich Fokina enjoyed a quarter-final run on his tournament debut in Monte Carlo in 2021 and can now equal that performance if he wins his third-round clash with World No. 27 Daniel Evans or wild card David Goffin.
Earlier, Taylor Fritz rallied for a 6-7(6), 7-6(5), 6-4 victory against Monagesque wild card Lucas Catarina to reach the second round of the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Despite trailing by a break in the third set against the World No. 430, Fritz rallied to victory. The American will next play former World No. 3 Marin Cilic, who eliminated Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Monday.
Fritz is enjoying the best season of his career, having just lifted his first ATP Masters 1000 title in March at the Indian Wells. The 10th seed, who is making his third appearance in the Principality, earned seven service breaks in his two-hour, 40-minute triumph.
