Monday marks the first full day of competition in Monte-Carlo, where Karen Khachanov and Cameron Norrie are set for an opening-round showdown. Felix Auger-Aliassime and Luca Nardi are also taking the court.
(15) Karen Khachanov vs. Cameron Norrie
Khachanov and Norrie will be squaring off for the seventh time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Monday. The head-to-head series is all tied up at 3-3. Norrie has won two of their three previous clay-court encounters, but Khachanov most recently got the job done 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 at the 2022 French Open.
Norrie is well off his peak at No. 30 in the rankings, struggling to stay inside the cut line for a seed at Roland Garros. The 28-year-old is a decent 10-6 this season but his only notable result is a fourth-round performance at the Australian Open. Khachanov is 12-6 with the same fourth-round showing in Melbourne, a title in Doha, and a recent fourth-round effort in Miami. Both of these guys are all-court players, but clay suits Khachanov’s topspin forehand much more than it does Norrie’s all around game–especially his backhand.
Pick: Khachanov in 3
Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. (Q) Luca Nardi
Nardi has made a name for himself in 2024, almost entirely due to one specific match. As a lucky loser at the Indian Wells Masters, the 20-year-old stunned world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the round of 32. Maintaining momentum from that stunner, Nardi kicked off his clay-court swing with a title at the Naples Challenger and successfully qualified for the Monte-Carlo main draw with victories over Lucas Pouille and Alexandre Muller.
If Nardi wins on Monday he will have another chance to be a giant killer, as Carlos Alcaraz would be up next for the 76th-ranked Italian. Standing in his way of the second round, however, is Auger-Aliassime. On paper Auger-Aliassime may be a sizable favorite, but the 23-year-old Canadian has been ice cold dating back to 2023 and has plunged to 35th in the rankings. Clay has not been a bad surface for Auger-Aliassime in the past, but it’s probably not what he wants to play on when he is struggling to find the court with basically all of his shots. Long rallies are almost certainly going to favor a confident Nardi.
Pick: Nardi in 3
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