In the Monte Carlo Masters, Novak Djokovic faced a bit of hardship but managed to win and secure a spot in the third round with a 7-6(5) 6-2 victory against Ivan Gakhov, a Russian qualifier. Despite not playing since early March due to his COVID vaccination status, the world No 1 managed to find his rhythm on the Monte Carlo clay and emerge victorious. Gakhov took the lead with a service break of 4-3, but Djokovic made an impressive comeback by breaking back immediately and winning the first set by winning the tiebreak 7-5. In the second set, Djokovic was more focused and determined, leaving no room for Gakhov to stage a comeback. Djokovic, a double French Open champ who was eliminated in the first round last year, is set to face either Lorenzo Musetti or Luca Nardi, his Italian compatriot and 16th seed. Alexander Zverev, a German player who suffered an ankle injury in his French Open semi-final match against Rafael Nadal, made an impressive comeback to the clay courts with a 3-6 6-2 6-4 win in the first round against Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik. Meanwhile, Spain’s Nadal, who has won a record 11 times at the Monte Carlo Country Club, is not playing due to a hip injury. His compatriot Carlos Alcaraz is also missing the tournament due to hand and back problems.
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