Monte-Carlo Masters (1R) - Apr 13-20 Season I
Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters
Round of 56 - Monte Carlo
Draw - Top Half
Draw - Bottom Half
It was a winning start for many CWLanders in the opening round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in Monaco overnight, as no less than five made will compete in the final 32. Whilst Oxenstierna had a bye;
Randy Smeltz,
Jamee Hancianu,
Jefferson Drake and
Jojo Mustard and will join them after having winning starts to their tournament. The German-born Smeltz managed to produce an upset of sorts against Spain's
Ion Andueza. As the lowest ranked direct qualifier for the tournament, Smeltz looked to take control early against his higher ranked opponent and did so in a dominant opening set. With both men coming off good starts to their clay seasons, Smeltz looked to superior player as he worked hard to take the first set 6-2. Ever the grinder, Smeltz continued to chip away at his opponent in the second after going down a break early - breaking back late in the set to head to a tiebreaker. Smeltz would eventually prevail
6-2 7-6(5), but will face the toughest match of his career in the second round -
Daniel Páez Blanco waiting.
Elsewhere, Mustard faces a tough second round clash against
Illya Altman after earning a tough win against Belgian qualifier
Mark Harmel. The Houston semifinalist was somewhat disappointing against his lower ranked opponent as the two traded sets to send the match to a decider. But after dropping the second set 3-6, Mustard looked to come back from the brink against the qualifier and did so in style as he raced to a 3-0 lead. Although Harmel pulled the match back to even terms, his steady yet slow serve was his undoing in the final game of the match as Mustard broke to take a
6-1 3-6 7-5 win. Mustard's next opponent, Altman, produced a comfortable win against CWLand's
Brett Read. After taking the first set in straightforward fashion, the fourteenth seed was tested by and out-of-form Read who stuck with his higher ranked opponent right throughout the second set. But with the scores tied at 5-5, Read dropped a service game and Altman held on to complete a
6-2 7-5 victory.
Jamee Hancianu will go into his second round clash with a big chance of knocking off third seeded Czech
Radek Špidla following a straight sets win over Bulgarian
Ivan Genov. Hancianu looked far too good on the clay for his 29-year old opponent as he pulled off an expected
6-1 7-5 victory. Hancianu moved much better than Genov, and looked the better player as he booked a second round clash with Špidla on the big-serving Czech player's Achilles heel. In section four, Jefferson Drake came from a set down to dispatch Argentina's
Juan Moreno. Despite not actively enjoying clay court tennis, the Casablanca champion has looked in superb form on the slower surface so far after his victory last week. But Moreno came out with fire and took a set-winning early break; Drake struggling against his Argentinian opponent. But Jefferson got the crowd involved with his ambitious tennis and ability to retrieve anything as he came back to smash Moreno
4-6 6-1 6-2 and set up a clash with
Diego Hurtado of Ecuador.
It was little surprise to see
Heath Davis fall in the top half as the big-server struggled to stick with American
Dwayne Murdoch. Whilst Carter was always going to be too good for Davis around the clay court, Davis remained hopeful of at the very least serving well. He failed in that respect as he fired down eleven double faults to hand his opponent a comfortable straight sets win. Davis didn't even produce a break point opportunity, and, like
Roy Daniels, will have a tough clay season - Murdoch advancing
6-2 6-3.
Qualifier
Billy Spleen also suffered defeat as he fell in three sets to French wildcard
Jean-Christophe Genghini. Genghini, who made the semifinals of the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships last week, played good solid tennis throughout the match, despite losing the second in disappointing style. Despite the loss, the 19-year old Spleen impressed with his ability to match it with his veteran opponent - culminating in him taking the second set 6-2. But Genghini proved too strong for the man ten years his junior - setting up a second round clash with
Sven Oxenstierna 6-4 2-6 6-2.
Seeds Out: 10-Davis Kennedy (CAN).
Blanco makes winning start
An appetising third round showdown between
Daniel Páez Blanco and
Sven Oxenstierna remains likely after the twelfth seed smashed Argentinian qualifier
Paolo Mandonna in straight sets to start his tournament with a bang. Blanco bagelled Mandonna in the first set, and just conceeded one game in the second as he started on his path to confirm he is the greatest clay courter in the world with a victory. If Blanco can get past
Randy Smeltz of CWLand in the second round, he will likely face sixth seed Oxenstierna next after the CWLander enjoyed a day off with a bye. Blanco, however, remained fairly coy about the possibility. "I am not focussing on him yet, I [am] focussing on my next match. Smeltz is a difficult player [to beat], so if I do I will then focus on Sven," he said in the post-match press conference for a Spanish television station.
