Monte-Carlo Masters: Ruud and Dimitrov Prepare for Unseeded Challenges

MONTE-CARLO, Monaco – The Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters heats up this Thursday as Casper Ruud and Grigor Dimitrov take to the clay courts for their third-round matches against unseeded rivals. Ruud will face Alexei Popyrin, while Dimitrov squares off against Alejandro Tabilo.

This highly anticipated matchup marks the first encounter between Ruud and Popyrin. Ruud, ranked seventh in the world, is capitalizing on his return to clay. After a rough start to the season with a 3-3 record in his last six outings, he dominated Roberto Bautista Agut in the second round, winning 6-2, 6-1.

“Clay has always been my favorite surface, and I feel comfortable here,” said Ruud, reflecting on his strong performance in Monaco, where he was a runner-up in 2022 and reached the semifinals in 2021.

Popyrin, for his part, is looking to resurrect a challenging season, sitting at 4-7 for the year after narrowly defeating Ugo Humbert and a fatigued Frances Tiafoe in three-set matches. How Popyrin handles Ruud’s formidable game could determine the ease of the match.

“I’ll just focus on my game and take it one point at a time,” Popyrin said, acknowledging the uphill battle against a tough competitor like Ruud.

In the other third-round match, Dimitrov, ranked 15th, hopes to capitalize on the momentum gained from Tabilo’s stunning upset of Novak Djokovic in the previous round. Dimitrov was at first on track to face the legendary Djokovic but will now instead contend with the Chilean.

“It’s a different match-up, but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Dimitrov. “I respect Tabilo’s game but know I can compete at a high level.”

Dimitrov holds a favorable 2-0 record against Tabilo, having won both previous encounters in tightly contested matches. He aims to keep his momentum going, following his semifinal appearance in Miami, defeating Nicolas Jarry and Valentin Vacherot.

Contrarily, Tabilo’s win over Djokovic is remarkable, considering his early-season struggles, with a record of just 2-9 leading into Monte-Carlo. “This victory is huge for me, but I know I have to stay focused against Dimitrov,” Tabilo remarked, highlighting the need to build on his previous success.

As the tournament advances, all eyes will be on the clay-court conditions, where surprising outcomes can occur. Ruud and Dimitrov are both favorites, but in tennis, anything can happen, especially on the slippery surface.

This year’s Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters features 10 of the top 12 players and promises excitement as defending French Open champion Carlos Alcaraz enters the event, with Djokovic seeking his 100th title and Alexander Zverev aiming to break free from a prolonged slump.

The stakes are high with a prize pool of €6,128,940 and all players honing in on important 1000 ranking points. The coming days will see intense competition, with veterans like Djokovic, Ruud, and Dimitrov eager to prove themselves once more on the clay.