Thunderbolt on the Rock. Highly anticipated, Novak Djokovic was eliminated on Tuesday as soon as he entered the Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo by the Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in three sets (3-6, 7-6, 1-6). On the side of the French engaged, they have already all been eliminated. A first for 45 years.
The world No. 1 fell from above. For his second tournament of the year, a month and a half after that of Dubai where he had been released in the quarter-finals, Novak Djokovic lived a very complicated afternoon against 46and world player. Lacking benchmarks and competition, he never really managed to enter the game and displayed his true level.
His statistics testify to his difficulties. The Serb lost serve eight times and committed no less than 45 unforced errors. Too much for a player of his caliber. And if he deceived by winning the 2and set, he broke down in the decisive set without finding the solutions to get the upper hand on his opponent, who achieved the best performance of his career.
But to see Novak Djokovic so short of form is nothing really surprising. Deprived of the Australian Open at the start of the year, but also of the Masters 1000 of Indian Wells and Miami because of his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19, he disputed on the clay court of Monte- Carlo only his 4th game of the year. Very little to hope to compete. And this lack of rhythm and competition obviously raises questions and gives rise to doubt one month before Roland-Garros, where he will defend his title won last year.
The Habs struggling
Doubts that also surround the French. Benoit Paire, Ugo Humbert and Benjamin Bonzi were the last tricolors in the Principality. And they suffered, on Tuesday, the same fate as Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Arthur Rinderknech, who had been beaten the day before. Paire (61st in the world) lost to young Italian Lorenzo Musetti (20) in three sets (6-2, 6-7, 6-2), while Bonzi (63rd), drafted from qualifying after the withdrawal of Roberto Bautista-Agut, was sharply beaten by the Briton Daniel Evans, semi-finalist last year, in two sets (6-0, 7-6).
Finally, Humbert fought hard for 2:30 against the Spaniard Pedro Martinez (45th), but he also ended up giving in (6-4, 7-6). This is the first time that all the French present in the main draw have gone out from the 1er tour since 1977. Nothing very reassuring with the approach of the Internationaux de France Porte d’Auteuil.