Monaco – Second-placed Alexander Zverev lost 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 to fellow big hitter Matteo Berettini in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.
Unseeded Berettini worked in his second match, winning the first match point against the top-seeded German.
Zverev, runner-up at last year’s French Open, won the crowd at the first Big Clay Court Tournament of the Year of the year, where he scored points with a net-sliced backhand volley in his fifth match.
However, Wimbledon runner-up in 2021, 28-year-old Berrettini defeated in the seventh game of the deciding set, making it 5-4.
Another break in the serve gave Berrettini a second chance to play the match, this time the Italian took it. He is then faced with Gili Lehecca or 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti.
In the second round match on Tuesday, Greece’s three-time champion Stefanos Zitzpas began his title defense against Australia’s Jordan Thompson, with US semi-finalist Jack Draper facing Marcos Giron.
In the first match remaining on Tuesday, Denmark’s Holga Rune followed Nunovolge 6-2, 3-0 when he retired after feeling sick.
Rune had a medical timeout at the end of the first set.
“He clearly saw that he wasn’t feeling well,” Borges said.
No. 15 seed Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov defeated Nicholas Jarry 6-3, 6-4 in his seventh match point, then he meets Monaco’s wildcard entry Valentin Vacellotto.
There were also first-round wins from Alexei Popilin, veteran Roberto Bautista Agutt and Thomas Machuk.
Two-time champion Novak Djokovic faced Alejandro Tabilo on Wednesday, a surprising defeat to the 24-time Grand Slam champions at last year’s Italian Open.
Djokovic is hoping for the 100th title of his career and recently lost Jakub Mensik’s Miami Open Final.