Novak Djokovic cruises past Safiullin at Monte Carlo Masters, Alcaraz withdraws due to injury

Novak Djokovic made a strong statement at the Monte Carlo Masters as he cruised past Roman Safiullin in straight sets on Tuesday. The world number one displayed his dominance on the court, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory in just over an hour.

The victory for Djokovic came after third seed Carlos Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. Despite being the oldest world number one in ATP history at 36, Djokovic showed no signs of slowing down as he broke Safiullin’s serve multiple times to secure the win.

Djokovic will now face either Lorenzo Musetti or Arthur Fils in the third round as he looks to continue his winning streak. The Serb is determined to bounce back from his early exit at Indian Wells and make a strong run at the Monte Carlo Masters.

In other matches, American Sebastian Korda defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, while Alex de Minaur overcame Stan Wawrinka in straight sets. Roberto Bautista Agut and Zhang Zhizhen also secured wins in their respective matches.

However, it was a disappointing end for Italian Matteo Berrettini, who fell to Miomir Kecmanovic in straight sets. The Italian had recently won the title in Marrakesh but was unable to replicate his success in Monte Carlo.

With the tournament heating up, fans can expect more thrilling matches in the days to come. Stay tuned for all the latest updates from the Monte Carlo Masters.