Lorenzo Musetti and Matteo Berrettini to'assault Monte Carlo

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Almost always the Italians are at home at the Monte Carlo Country Club. And again this year, with six players in the draw, support from the stands will not be lacking for the Azzurri players. On Monday, three will make their debut in the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters ( 6,128,940 euros prize pool), the third “1000” of the season: Lorenzo Musetti (No. 16 in the world), Matteo Berrettini (No. 27) and Fabio Fognini (No. 99).

Going in ranking order, Musetti will face off against Chinese qualifier Bu Yunchaokete (No. 67). The surface undoubtedly favors the Tuscan, seeded No. 13, who will thus also have the opportunity to take revenge after the defeat suffered in the only previous one, last fall, in the ATP 500 in Beijing.

Before then, Bu was No. 96 ATP, so the one against Musetti will also be his first-ever match in a Masters 1000 on clay, a ground on which he has played just two matches (both lost) in the main draws of the major circuit. Musetti, for his part, returns to one of the tournaments where he has expressed his best tennis, having always reached at least the round of 16 in the last three seasons, but especially the quarters in 2023, complete with a victory over then No. 1 Novak Djokovic.

Well different is the picture as far as Berrettini is concerned, who instead will challenge a player who has precisely in the clay his favorite terrain, Argentina’s Mariano Navone (No. 61). Under similar conditions, a year ago, the Roman won the only direct clash, in the semifinal of the ATP 250 in Marrakech, but with the score of 67(4) 63 62, in a tough battle.

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