The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Simon and Monfils crash out of Monte Carlo Masters

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Simon and Monfils crash out of Monte Carlo Masters

Fognini rallies to beat Berdych; Safin tames Hewitt

MONTE CARLO: Frenchmen Gilles Simon, the sixth seed, and aching Gael Monfils went down to defeat in a horror start for the nation at the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday.

After little more than two days of play, France has suffered four losses, with Simon exiting his opening match in the second round 7-5, 6-1 against unfancied Andreas Beck.

The 89th-ranked German qualifier was playing on the ATP level for the first time since the Australian Open in January, where he went out in the second round.

Joining last year’s breakthrough player at the exits was ninth-seed Monfils, whose first-round start ended 6-3, 6-1 in favour of Serb Janko Tipsarevic.

Losing his way

Monfils lost an early 3-1 lead as he played his debut clay date with his fragile knees heavily strapped.

“I needed to get used to them,” said the 22-year-old who has trimmed his trademark dreadlocks.Monfils, who pushed Roger Federer to four sets at Roland Garros last year, struggled badly on his second serve and was broken five times by Tipsarevic.

Fabio Fognini of Italy also reached the second round, coming back from a set and a break down in the third to win 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 against Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic. Fognini was trailing 3-2 in the decider but won four straight games to set up a second-round match against the 14th-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia.

Murray advances

Briton Andy Murray overcame a sluggish start to reach the third round with a solid 6-3, 6-2 victory over Romania’s Victor Hanescu.

World No. 3 Novak Djokovic of Serbia demolished qualifier Oscar Hernandez 6-1, 6-2, ending the Spaniard’s ordeal with a stunning forehand winner.

He will take on either Monaco’s Jean-Rene Lisnard or Spain’s Albert Montanes, who knocked out compatriot and 16th seed Nicolas Almagro 7-6, 4-6, 7-6.

Marat Safin won the battle of former world number ones when he tamed Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who claimed the U.S. Men’s Clay court Championships on Sunday, 6-4, 7-5 in the first round.

Paul-Henri Mathieu of France snatched a set from 12th seed David Nalbandian of Argentina but eventually lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Monaco’s wild card Jean-Rene Lisnard made up for at least some of the damage as the French-born World No. 263 advanced beating Belgian Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-2.

Late on Monday, Czech 15th seed Radek Stepanek suffered a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 loss to Ecuador’s Nicolas Lapentti in the first round.

The results: At Monte Carlo (Monte Carlo Masters): Second round: Andreas Beck bt Gilles Simon 7-5, 6-1; Novak Djokovic bt Oscar Hernandez 6-1, 6-2; Juan Monaco bt Tommy Robredo 6-2, 6-4; Andy Murray bt Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-2. First round: Janko Tipsarevic bt Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1; Albert Montanes bt Nicolas Almagro 7-6(6), 4-6, 7-6(5); Fabio Fognini bt Tomas Berdych 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Jean-Rene Lisnard bt Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-2; Nicolas Lapentti bt Radek Stepanek 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; Ivan Ljubicic bt Kristof Vliegen 6-4, 6-7(5) 6-4; Andreas Beck bt Nicolas Kiefer 1-6, 7-6(1), 6-4; Juan Monaco bt Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 7-5; Marat Safin bt Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 7-5; David Ferrer bt Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-3; David Nalbandian bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

At Barcelona (Barcelona Ladies Open): First round: Nicole Vaidisova bt Yevgenia Savranska 6-2, 6-4; Severine Brémond bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld 7-6(4), 6-2; Sara Errani bt Mathilde Johansson 2-6, 7-5, 6-3; Roberta Vinci bt Pauline Parmentier 6-4, 7-6(7); Flavia Pennetta bt Petra Kvitova 6-3, 6-3; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro bt Alize Cornet 6-0, 6-3.

At Charleston (WTA Family Circle Cup): First round: Alona Bondarenko bt Anne Kremer 6-4, 6-0; Virginie Razzano bt Mallory Cecil 6-1, 6-2; Tamira Paszek bt Julia Schruff 7-5, 6-2; Vania King bt Olga Govortsova 6-7(3), 7-6(5), 6-3; Melinda Czink bt Jill Craybas 6-2, 6-4. — Agencies

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