Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters Preview

There aren’t many better venues in tennis than Monte-Carlo which stages the 106th renewal of the Rolex Masters in April 2012.

The event once again takes its position in the calendar as the third ATP Masters 1000 series tournament of the campaign and the first of three to be played on clay between now and the start of the French Open Championships in late May.

Rafael Nadal, unbelievably, holds a 39-1 match record in the competition and will be seeking to win his eighth consecutive title this year – but the Spaniard arguably faces his toughest task yet with new World No.1 Novak Djokovic keen to break his rival’s dominance on the surface.

Indeed, despite what was a marvellous 2011 for the Serb, Nadal still held his own on clay and broke Djokovic’s fine run of Grand Slam successes by lifting the trophy at Roland Garros for a sixth time.

Ultimately, all players will be looking towards the French Open as the culmination of the clay season however events such as the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters carry a huge amount of prestige in their own right – and crucial ranking points which are needed by all players to support performances recorded in the Grand Slam tournaments.

Nadal will naturally head into Monaco as a worthy favourite however Djokovic is more than capable of breaking his tremendous run.

Rafa’s fitness levels were questioned on a number of occasions during 2011 and he will have to hit the ground running here with Djokovic carrying all of the momentum following his latest Masters triumph in Miami.

It takes many players time to make the adjustment from the hard courts to clay, including Djokovic and Nadal – however the two big guns look nailed on to feature in the final as their outright class should see them through above the remainder of the 56 strong field.

Roger Federer and Andy Murray, ranked third and fourth in the world respectively, should also be fairly prominent but at this stage of the clay season they may be eclipsed by some lesser overall types who are considered to be clay specialists.

The likes of Nicolas Almagro, Juan Monaco and David Ferrer all hold a decent chance of reaching the latter stages – and Ferrer in particular harbours strong each way claims after being a regular bridesmaid in these events throughout 2011.

Indeed, the early round match betting could prove to be fruitful for punters if matters are carefully calculated.

Lower ranked players who specialise on the clay can be available at good odds to overcome better opponents who tend to struggle on the surface and fail to consistently to produce their best form over the spring months.

Naturally, as this is the first significant tournament of the year on clay, there will be a lot of clues available as to which players should be followed during April and May as the tour progresses towards the Madrid Open and the Rome Masters.

Go To bet365

#Ad

09/04/2012     © Frixo 2024