Matosevic sets up Nadal clash, Djokovic signs up
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, April 17, 2013
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Security personnel hold back fans waiting for a autograph from Rafael Nadal (left) following the Spaniard's training session at the Monte Carlo Masters in Monaco yesterday. |
Rafael Nadal lines up today against Australian Marinko Matosevic at the Monte Carlo Masters as the Spaniard begins his campaign for a record ninth straight trophy at the iconic venue.
Nadal's opponent Matosevic faces the toughest task in tennis after winning his first match on clay in almost a year to open yesterday with a 7-5, 6-3 success over Fernando Verdasco.
Top seed Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, informed tournament director Zeljko Franulovic that he would be fit to make his start in the second round after a bye.
Djokovic has been putting in training and tests on his injured right ankle over the past few days. He will begin against Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
Matosevic, the world No. 54, won't have time to celebrate his upset of Spain's former ace.
Instead, he will become just the first obstacle placed in the path of Nadal, winner of his last 42 matches at the Country Club in Monte Carlo.
The Australian last won a clay match in the first round of French Open qualifying last May after earning his last ATP win on the surface in Munich a few weeks earlier.
In other first-round matches, Swiss 13th seed Stanislas Wawrinka beat Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 6-3, 7-5 while Spaniard Albert Ramos defeated Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 6-3.
In the second round, the seeded French pair of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Richard Gasquet made winning starts. Sixth seed Tsonga beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko 7-6 (3), 6-2 while Richard Gasquet, the seventh seed, struggled before containing countryman Benoit Paire 6-1, 3-6, 6-1.
Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov upset eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic 7-6 (3), 6-1, with the Serb double-faulting on a set point in the opening set.
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