An intriguing first-rounder in Monte-Carlo pits Alexandr Dolgopolov against Bernard Tomic on Sunday. The winner will advance to face Juan Martin Del Potro.
Alexandr Dolgopolov and Bernard Tomic will be squaring off for the sixth time in their careers when they clash in round one of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters on Sunday afternoon.
Dolgopolov is leading the head-to-head series 4-1, including 1-0 on clay. Their most recent encounter came on the slow stuff last year in the second round of this same event, with Dolgopolov prevailing 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. That helped avenge a 4-6, 7-6(0), 7-6(6), 2-6, 6-3 loss to Tomic a few months earlier at the Australian Open. Only their first meeting in early 2010 ended in straight sets.
Tomic is a stellar 13-6 for the year, but he has cooled off since a blistering start that saw him capture his first ATP title in Sydney and reach the third round in Melbourne. The 43rd-ranked Aussie advanced one round in both Indian Wells and Miami and he is coming off a pair of Davis Cup singles wins against Uzbekistan.
Dolgopolov is struggling mightily this season. His true performance is worse than his 8-6 record suggests, because four of his victories have come against lower-level Davis Cup competition. The world No. 22 has won multiple matches at a tournament only once this entire year (two in Memphis before losing in the quarterfinals).
While a slight edge in current form goes to Tomic, the 20-year-old is not particularly comfortable on clay and it has become clear that he does not like facing Dolgopolov. Tomic can out-junk just about any opponent, but Dolgopolov is not one of them. The Ukrainian, who took Novak Djokovic to 6-4 in the third at this event in 2012, should have confidence in this matchup and on this surface.
Pick: Dolgopolov in 3
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