In a surprising turn of events at the Monte Carlo Masters, Daniil Medvedev faced a rare defeat, losing 6-0, 6-0 to Italian player Matteo Berrettini. This match marked the first time in Medvedev’s career that he has experienced a double-bagel loss.
The Russian player, known for his intense temperament, exhibited frustration during the match, breaking multiple racquets after falling behind 2-0 in the second set. His outburst included throwing his racquet into the clay court repeatedly, much to the amusement of the crowd, before ultimately smashing it against the ground and placing it in a trash bin.
Medvedev’s performance was plagued by errors, as he recorded 28 unforced mistakes and five double faults, leading to an unusually brief defeat that lasted just 49 minutes. This loss is notable as it is only the fifth occurrence of a top-10 player losing with a scoreline of 6-0, 6-0 since the inception of ATP rankings in 1973, and the first such instance in the last decade.
On the other hand, Berrettini, who has struggled with injuries in recent times, expressed his joy at the victory, calling it “one of the best performances” of his career.
The tournament also saw fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti unexpectedly fall to local player Valentin Vacherot with a score of 7-6 (8-6), 7-5, which has opened up new opportunities for Australian player Alex de Minaur. De Minaur is set to compete against Belgian Alexander Blockx in the round of 16 on Thursday. The draw has become more favorable for de Minaur, who was anticipated to meet Musetti in the quarterfinals.
Blockx, currently ranked 91st in the world, recently celebrated a significant career milestone by defeating tenth seed Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 6-3 on his 21st birthday.
In other matches, Alexander Zverev made a comeback after trailing 0-4 and 2-5 in the final set against Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin, securing a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 victory to advance to the next round. Zverev’s next opponent will be Belgian Zizou Bergs, who triumphed over Andrey Rublev with a score of 6-4, 6-1.
Additionally, Brazilian Joao Fonseca has made history by becoming the youngest player to reach the last 16 in a Masters event since Rafael Nadal and Richard Gasquet accomplished the feat 21 years ago. The 19-year-old secured his place in the next round by defeating Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, setting up a match against Berrettini.
