Djokovic and Alcaraz at Monte Carlo Masters

Monaco The draw has pitted title contenders Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz against each other in the semi-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters.

As the top seed, Djokovic will play in the second round and is likely to face Roman Safiullin. In the third round, Nole could meet Taylor Fritz or Lorenzo Musetti - who eliminated him in the third round last year. Djokovic's draw is considered difficult, as he could face defending champion Andrey Rublev or Stan Wawrinka or Alex De Minaur in the quarterfinals.

Djokovic in his loss to Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters 2023. Photo: Reuters — Djokovic in his loss to Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters 2023. Photo: *Reuters*

To reach the semi-finals, Alcaraz will also have to overcome many difficult opponents. The player who has just dropped to world number three could face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the second round, Hubert Hurkacz in the third round and Casper Ruud in the quarter-finals. Hurkacz and Ruud are both in good form and advanced deep at the ATP 250 Estoril Open this week.

The other semifinal bracket features second seed Jannik Sinner and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev. Sinner opens against the winner of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Sebastian Korda. The Miami Open champion could then face Sebastian Baez and Holger Rune in the next rounds. Medvedev's bracket also features some big names, including Alexander Zverev, Stefanos Tsitsipas and potential second-round opponent Gael Monfils.

Monte Carlo Masters 2024 branch draw results. Photo: X

The 2024 Monte Carlo Masters, taking place in Monaco from April 7-14, is the first ATP 1000 clay tournament of the year. Rafael Nadal holds the record for most championships, with 11 titles in 17 appearances. The "King of Clay" will not be participating in this year's tournament because he is not in the best physical condition.

The clay season has two more Masters tournaments: Madrid Open (April 24 - May 5) and Rome Masters (May 6 - May 19) before ending with the Grand Slam Roland Garros (May 20 - June 9).

Vy Anh

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