Novak Djokovic is a man on a mission at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco this week. The defending champion has reached the Final of his last eleven Masters 1000 events, winning nine of them including two already in 2016. Will Djokovic be able to successfully defend his title in Monte-Carlo?
Djokovic is the world number 1, top seed and defending champion. He also has an unbeaten run in Masters 1000 events that stretches back to the Final of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati last August. He lost to Roger Federer in the Final there but has been a dominant force since then.
This season, he has won four of the five tournaments he has played. Injury forced him to withdraw from the one he didn’t win. Having taken a bit of time off in February, he returned to the tour and won the title in Indian Wells in March. He overcame a scare against American Bjorn Fratangelo in the second round to storm through the rest of the tournament without dropping a set.
He then moved on to Miami, where he continued his dominance by lifting the trophy without losing a single set. Coming into this tournament, he has won his last eleven matches all in straight sets.
The route to another Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 title isn’t going to be easy for the Serbian, although he is a massive betting favourite to lift the trophy once again. On Wednesday, 13th April, he will enter the tournament in the second round to take on 22-year-old Czech world number 55 Jiri Vesely. This will be their first ever meeting on the ATP Tour and is sure to be an eye-opener for the up and coming Czech player.
If Djokovic comes through this match unscathed he could face tough competition in the latter rounds.
Possible Opponents
|
Round 3 |
Gael Monfils (13) |
|
Quarter Final |
David Ferrer (7) |
|
Semi Final |
Roger Federer (3) |
| Final |
Andy Murray (2) |
Last Years Route to the Title
|
Round 2 |
Albert Ramos |
|
Round 3 |
Andreas Haider-Maurer |
|
Quarter Final |
Marin Cilic (8) |
|
Semi Final |
Rafael Nadal (3) |
|
Final |
Tomas Berdych (6) |
Djokovic dropped only one set last year, to Berdych in the Final. He played an under-par Marin Ciic and an off-form Rafa Nadal during his run to the title. This year, all of his potential opponents are playing well and could pose a major threat to his bid for a third Masters 1000 title of 2016.
Stay with Tennis-Update for the latest news and results to see if anyone can knock Djokovic from atop his perch, or if the Serb world number 1 can continue his French Open preparation by adding another trophy to his cabinet.