In Monte Carlo, fans witnessed a surprising turn of events at the Masters on Tuesday as Alexander Zverev, ranked second in the world, was defeated by Matteo Berrettini in a thrilling second-round match. The match ended 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 in favor of the unseeded Berrettini, who managed to seal the win on his first match point after serving for the match twice against the tournament’s top seed.
Under the bright tournament lights, Berrettini, who reached the Wimbledon final in 2021, showed remarkable prowess, especially during the last set. Although Zverev managed to excite the spectators with a skillful sliced backhand volley at the net in the fifth game, it was Berrettini who broke serve in the seventh game. Berrettini had his first opportunity to finish the match at 5-4, but Zverev wasn’t going down without a fight, managing to break back. However, the Italian powerhouse broke Zverev’s serve once more, giving him another shot to serve out the match, which he executed perfectly. With this victory, Berrettini sets his sights on facing either Jiri Lehecka or 13th-seeded Lorenzo Musetti next.
Elsewhere in the tournament, Stefanos Tsitsipas, a three-time champion from Greece, stepped up to defend his title against Australia’s Jordan Thompson. Additionally, US Open semifinalist Jack Draper faced off against Marcos Giron in another anticipated second-round match on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, during the remaining first-round matches, there was drama as Holger Rune from Denmark had to retire while trailing 6-2, 3-0 against Nuno Borges due to feeling unwell. Rune took a medical timeout after the end of the first set, as Borges noticed Rune wasn’t in the best shape.
Grigor Dimitrov, the 15th seed from Bulgaria, emerged victorious over Nicolas Jarry, winning 6-3, 6-4, clinching the win on his seventh match point. Dimitrov’s next challenge is against Valentin Vacherot from Monaco, who entered the tournament as a wild card.
The day also saw victories for Alexei Popyrin, seasoned player Roberto Bautista Agut, and Tomas Machac in the first-round action. As the tournament progresses, Wednesday promises more excitement with Novak Djokovic, seeking his 100th career title, facing Alejandro Tabilo. Tabilo previously surprised everyone by defeating the 24-time Grand Slam champion at the Italian Open last year. Djokovic is eager to bounce back after recently losing the Miami Open final to Jakub Mensik.
