Google News ATP MONTE-CARLO- NOVAK DJOKOVIC STUNNED. Rafael Nadal and Stanislas Wawrinka reach third round
by TALAL DAR
Tennis- World No.1 and defending champion Novak Djokovic faced a shocking defeat in the second round but 9-time Monte-Carlo Champion Rafael Nadal and 2014 Champion Stanislas Wawrinka are through to the third round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters 2016 with straight sets victories over their opponents.
The sixth seed and last year's finalist Tomas Berdych also faced a loss. Djokovic had lost only one match this year, which was also due to retirement against Feliciano Lopez in Dubai. He had won 14 matches in a row, a streak which included Davis Cup first round, Indian Wells and Miami wins.
He had also won 18 of the last 20 matches in Monte-Carlo, as he won in 2013 and 2015. Djokovic had also won last 24 sets in a row. Djokovic's 22-year-old opponent Jiri Vesely had never beaten any top 10 player in his career, although he had played top 10 players 8 times.
But against Djokovic he was in supreme form as he lost only one point in his first four service games which put pressure on Djokovic at 4-4. Vesely broke him there and held his serve at 15 to take the first set 6-4. He also only 2 points in 5 service games.
Vesely will face 13th seed Gael Monfils next, who won in straight sets against Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 6-4. In the second set Djokovic started dominating and broke Vesely twice to take the set 6-2 and levelled the match at one set a piece.
But Vesely started the third set by breaking Djokovic in the first game, although Djokovic broke back in the next game. But Vesely broke him again in the third game and held all of his service games easily after that. Djokovic saved a match point on his own serve at 3-5 but Vesely held his service game easily at 5-4 to register first ever win against a top 10 player. Former World No.1 Nadal had won the event 9 times in a row from 2005 to 2013 but he has not won it in last 3 years.
Nadal broke his British opponent Aljaz Bedene twice in the first set to go 5-1 up but Bedene got one break back to reduce Nadal's lead to 5-3. The Spaniard held his serve to take the first set 6-3. In the second set Nadal broke Bedene in the first set game and got another break later to go 5-2 up.
He served for the match at 5-2 but Bedene got one break back, which was not enough again as Nadal broke him in the next game to finish the match 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 19 minutes. Nadal will meet the 12th seed Dominic Thiem for a place in the Quarterfinals, as the Austrian came back from one set down to beat Japan's Qualifier Taro Daniel 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. Fourth seed Stanislas Wawrinka set up a round of 16 clash with 15th seed Gilles Simon as the Swiss defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber 7-6 (2), 7-5. This was Wawrinka fourth win in a row against the German player.
16th seed Benoit Paire moved into the third round with a straight sets 6-4, 6-3 win over Joao Sousa of Portugal. World No.2 Andy Murray will be waiting for him in the round of 16. Damir Dzumhur, the qualifier from Bosnia and Herzegovina caused a major upset as ousted the sixth seed Tomas Berdych in 3 sets 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-3. He will face 10th seed Milos Raonic next, who edged Pablo Cuevas in 3 sets 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (5). The match lasted for 2 hours and 35 minutes.
11th seed David Goffin edged the former World No.7 Fernando Verdasco in a thrilling match which lasted for more than 2 hours and 30 minutes 7-6 (2), 2-6, 7-6 (1). The ninth seed Richard Gasquet was beaten in 3 sets 4-6 7-5 6-1 by French lucky loser Lucas Pouille.
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