Novak Djokovic needs another three-setter to beat Juan Monaco on Thursday in Monte-Carlo. Djokovic is joined in the quarterfinals by Jarkko Nieminen, an upset winner over Juan Martin Del Potro.
(1) Novak Djokovic d. (14) Juan Monaco 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Djpkovic came back from a set down in a second straight match when he defeated Monaco in the third round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Thursday afternoon. The world No. 1, who had overcome Mikhail Youzhny in his opener, booked a quarterfinal spot after two hours and two minutes.
Djokovic was once again less than 100 percent due to the ankle injury he sustained earlier this month in Davis Cup, and it showed especially in the first set. Monaco missed two break chances at 1-1 but finally converted thanks to an errant backhand by his opponent. The Argentine gave back the break at 4-3, but he earned one more scalp of the Djokovic serve before serving out the opener at 5-4.
Djokovic wasted no time playing his way into the match in set two. The top-seeded Serb survived a deuce game for 1-0 then broke en route to a 3-0 advantage. Monaco eventually broke back for 2-3, but that only delayed the inevitable. Djokovic won three return games in the middle frame of play, including one at 5-2 to force a decider in style. He converted his fourth set point when Monaco erred on a forehand at the end of a long rally.
The third progressed in similar fashion, with Djokovic surging to 3-0 before Monaco finally got on the scoreboard. This time, though, the world No. 20 trailed by two breaks at 5-1 before finally seizing a break of his own. But Monaco failed on serve in his attempt to stay in the match despite leading 30-15 in the final game. Djokovic won the last three points, capitalizing on his first match point by tracking down a drop-shot and coaxing Monaco into a backhand error.
Monte-Carlo’s 2012 runner-up finished with 25 winners and 45 unforced errors, while Monaco recorded 10 winners compared to 37 mistakes.
Jarkko Nieminen d. Juan Martin Del Potro 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4)
One day after outlasting Milos Raonic in a third-set tiebreaker, Nieminen did the same in an upset of Del Potro on Thursday. The 31-year-old fired 51 winners to his opponent’s 40 as he prevailed after two hours and 37 minutes.
Nieminen had never won a single set in five previous matches against Del Potro, but the Finn wasted no time getting off to fast start in this one. He won the first three games, mainly thanks to break at 1-0 that he converted with a crushing forehand winner. Nieminen gave it back with the pressure on at 5-3, but he earned one more break to end the set with another powerful forehand.
Del Potro fought back in the second, which was decided by just a single break. The seventh-ranked Argentine seized it at 1-1 when Nieminen’s first serve betrayed him. Del Potro saved all three of the break points he faced to make his advantage stand up and a tough hold at 5-4 forced a decider.
If this contest had already been back-and-forth, the third was an absolute roller-coaster. Del Potro won two straight games for 2-0, Nieminen went on a streak of four to surge ahead 4-2, then Del Potro took two in a row for 5-4. Monte-Carlo’s No. 5 seed failed to serve it out in the 10th game but fought off one match point in the 12th game and managed to force a tiebreaker.
More of the same continued in the ‘breaker, which was a game of streaks. Nieminen raced to 3-0 lead, fell behind 4-3 by losing four points in succession, then won four in a row of his own to clinch the huge victory. The world No. 49 could do almost no wrong as he swung for the fences, trying–not always with success–to end points short but often being forced to endure grueling rallies. Del Potro, also struggling physically, called for a trainer down 5-4 in the tiebreaker but played on instead of waiting and lost the final two points with groundstroke errors.
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