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Tennis News: Draper Suffers Narrow Defeat, Djokovic Cruises at Monte Carlo Masters
Published: [Current Date]
Source: BBC Sport Tennis
In the latest tennis action at the 2023 Monte Carlo Masters, Britain’s rising star Jack Draper faced a narrow first-round defeat against the Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz. Meanwhile, world number one Novak Djokovic made an impressive start to his clay-court season with a straight-sets victory.
Draper, the 39th-ranked player, put up a strong fight against Hurkacz, eventually losing 6-4, 3-6, 7-6(7-2) in a closely contested match. The Briton had managed to break Hurkacz’s serve as the Pole served for the match at 5-4 in the third set, keeping himself in contention. However, Hurkacz proved to be the stronger player in the tiebreaker, securing the victory.
“It was a tough match, but I’m proud of the way I fought. Hurkacz is a great player, and I gave it my all out there.” – Jack Draper
On the other hand, Djokovic, a five-time champion in Monte Carlo, cruised to a comfortable 6-1, 6-2 win over Russia’s Roman Safiullin. The Serbian superstar, who is aiming to peak for the upcoming Paris Olympics on clay, looked dominant in his first clay-court match of the year.
Draper’s defeat means he was the last Briton standing in the singles draw, with Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans having already lost on Monday. The young Briton had shown his potential on the clay, taking advantage of Hurkacz’s faltering game in the second set to level the match.
In other news, world number two Carlos Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to a muscle injury in his right forearm. The Wimbledon champion had been scheduled to face Felix Auger-Aliassime on Wednesday but had to pull out of the event. Alcaraz is the defending champion at the upcoming Barcelona Open, which begins on April 13th.
The Monte Carlo Masters continues to provide captivating tennis action, with Djokovic’s impressive start and Draper’s narrow defeat adding to the storylines. Tennis fans will be eagerly following the progress of top players as they prepare for the upcoming clay-court season, including the coveted French Open.
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