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montecarlotennismasters.com: April 15 2014 Monaco – Novak Djokovic opened his title defence at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters in emphatic style on Tuesday. The Serb blitzed past Spain’s Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-0 in just 45 minutes to reach the third round.

Djokovic ended Nadal’s eight-year reign at the Monte-Carlo Country Club last year when he lifted the trophy for the first time. He also finished runner-up in 2009 and 2012 and has a 21-6 tournament record. The Belgrade native is coming off back-to-back victories at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells (d. Federer) and Miami (d. Nadal) and is looking to win his fifth Masters 1000 crown in succession, having closed 2013 with titles in Shanghai and Paris. In total, he has won 18 Masters 1000 trophies.

Fifth seed Tomas Berdych rounded out the day’s action with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Dmitry Tursunov. Berdych rallied from a break down in both sets before claiming victory in one hour and 41 minutes.

Sixth seed David Ferrer enjoyed an easier time of it, dismissing France’s Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-0 in 65 minutes. The Spaniard won 73 per cent of his service points and broke Chardy five times to claim his third win over the French this season, following victories at the Australian Open and in Rio de Janeiro. French No. 1 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was made to work hard for his place in the third round battling past Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 in just under two hours.

Grigor Dimitrov had his work cut out for him in the first round on Tuesday. The 12th-seeded Bulgarian trailed by a break of serve in the deciding set before reeling off the final six games of the match to beat Marcel Granollers 6-2, 4-6, 6-2. He next will face Spain’s Albert Ramos. Italian Andreas Seppi upset 13th seed Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 7-6(4). Under sunny skies at the Monte-Carlo Country Club, Seppi advanced in just over two hours, saving six of the seven break points he faced.  

montecarlotennismasters.com: April 14 2014 Monaco - Fabio Fognini survived a first-round scare on Monday at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, rallying from a set and 5-2 down to defeat Joao Sousa 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and 21 minutes.

The 10th-seeded Fognini beat two Top 10 players to reach the semi-finals at the Monte-Carlo Country Club last year. He comes into the 2014 edition having made a career-best start to the season, compiling a 22-6 match record (the third most wins on the ATP World Tour) and winning his third ATP World Tour title in Vina del Mar. The Italian goes on to face Roberto Bautista Agut, who defeated Vasek Pospisil 6-2, 6-2.

No. 11 seed Tommy Robredo was untroubled in his opener, defeating qualifier David Goffin 6-4, 6-1 in 83 minutes. The Spaniard claimed his 12th win of the season, highlighted by a semi-final showing on clay in Buenos Aires. The 31 year old is making his 10th appearance in Monte-Carlo, reaching the quarter-finals in 2006 (l. to Gaudio).

Radek Stepanek set a second-round clash with fourth seed Roger Federer after dismissing Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 6-2 in 58 minutes. Stepanek broke the Croat’s formidable serve four times and limited him to just two aces. Stepanek trails Federer 2-13 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, with his last victory over the 21-time ATP World Tour Masters 1000 champion coming six years ago on clay in the Rome quarter-finals.

Ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will open his campaign against Philipp Kohlschreiber after the German defeated Italy’s Simone Bolelli 6-3, 6-4 in 76 minutes. Meanwhile, qualifier Albert Montanes earned a second-round clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic after defeating Benoit Paire 7-5, 4-6, 6-2.