Juan Martin Del Potro wins his opener at the Monte-Carlo Masters after overcoming Alexandr Dolgopolov on Tuesday. Ernests Gulbis also needs three sets to advance past John Isner.
(5) Juan Martin Del Potro d. Alexandr Dolgopolov 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Del Potro came back from a set and break down to defeat Dolgopolov in the second round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Tuesday. In his third appearance at the tournament, Del Potro won his first main-draw match after exactly one hour.
This was a wild one right from the start, with the first game of the match going to six deuces on Dolgopolov’s serve. The Ukrainian finally held then converted his third break chance at 2-1 with a crushing forehand to seize an early advantage. Del Potro did not come close to recovering in the opening set, instead looking almost disinterested. The No. 5 seed struck only two winners to his opponent’s 21 while winning just a single game.
Dolgopolov seemed to be on his way to a straight-set, upset victory when he stormed back from a 2-0 deficit in set two. The world No. 22 broke back for 1-2 with another well-placed forehand and he earned his third break of the proceedings at 3-3 when Del Potro squandered the entirety of a 40-0 lead on serve.
Always one of the streakiest players on tour, however, Dolgopolov lost his way and the tide turned when he got broken right back at 4-3. Unable to shake off the disappointment, the underdog squandered three break points at 4-4 and one game point at 4-5 before being forced into a backhand error to end the set. Dolgopolov missed two more break chances at 1-1 in the fifth and promptly double-faulted twice in the ensuing game to drop serve.
Two more breaks were exchanged thereafter, but Del Potro never completely gave away his lead after finally gaining the upper hand. The seventh-ranked Argentine held comfortably at both 4-2 and 5-3 to seal the deal, clinching his first match point when Dolgopolov netted a drop-volley.
A relatively passive Del Potro finished with 17 winners and 19 errors to an aggressive Dolgopolov’s 50 and 47, respectively. Next up for Del Potro on Thursday is either Milos Raonic or Jarkko Nieminen.
Ernests Gulbis d. (WC) John Isner 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
In a showdown between two in-form players, Gulbis got the best of Isner after one hour and 48 minutes on Tuesday. Coming off a clay-court title in Houston just two days earlier, Isner maintained his momentum with a blistering start. The 6’9” American dug out of a 0-40 hole in the second game of the match to hold and stay on serve. That seemed to energize Isner, who broke twice in succession for a 4-1 advantage. The wild card immediately gave back one of the breaks, but he held comfortably at 4-3 and 5-4 to wrap up the first set.
The quick turnaround, however, eventually caught up to Isner. He took a medical timeout at 2-3 in the second for an apparent hip issue before watching his opponent completely dominate the middle frame of play. Gulbis dropped a mere two points in four service games and he won all eight of his second-serve return points. The Latvian broke for 4-2 when Isner netted a forehand and again at love to force a decisive third.
Isner dropped serve at love on a second consecutive occasion to fall behind 2-0 in the final set. One break was enough for Gulbis, who won 15 of 17 first-serve points in the decider. The world No. 56 held the entire way and converted his second match point (Isner saved one at 2-5 thanks to an ace) with a service winner.
Gulbis, after recording a clean 32 winners to 18 unforced errors, will go up against Juan Monaco during second-round action on Wednesday. Monaco, a Houston semifinalist, dismissed Martin Klizan 6-4, 6-0.
It’s too bad that two of the hottest players on tour had to meet that early in the draw!