Monte-Carlo Masters: Rune overcomes Nagal challenge to set up Dimitrov clash

Denmark’s Holger Rune, the No 7 seed, advanced to the last 16 of the Monte-Carlo Masters by beating Indian qualifier Sumit Nagal in three sets in a rain-delayed match on Thursday.

The players resumed the second-round encounter with Rune serving at 6-3, 2-1 but it was Nagal, who got off to a quick start on Thursday.

The Indian, who made history on Monday by becoming the first Indian to win an ATP Masters 1000 series main draw match on clay, broke back for 2-2 and then broke for a second time to wrap up the second set 6-3.

Rune, a former world No 4, then broke early in the final set to lead 2-0 before Nagal levelled the match at 2-2. From there, the Dane won the final four games, including a stretch of 11 points in a row, to complete the 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 win in just under two hours.

Rune AIMING to snap a two-match losing streak to Dimitrov next

Rune, ranked No 7, will play Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, the No 9 seed, later in the day itself. Dimitrov also won his second round match, held over from yesterday, in straight sets over Miomir Kecmanovic on Thursday. The Bulgarian leads the head-to-head between the pair by 2-1, winning their last two clashes including a straight sets win in Brisbane earlier this year.

In the previous round of the event, Nagal, ranked No 93 but projected to break into the top 80 next week, edged out Italian Matteo Arnaldi (5-7, 6-2, 6-4).

Monte-Carlo Masters 1000, other second-round results (Monte-Carlo Country Club, clay, EUR 5,950,575):

• Grigor Dimitrov beat Miomir Kecmanovic: 6-4, 6-3
• Casper Ruud (8) beat Alejandro Tabilo: 6-2, 6-4
• Daniil Medvedev (4) beat Gael Monfils (WC): 6-2, 6-4
• Hubert Hurkacz (10) beat Roberto Bautista Agut (Q): 7-5, 7-6 (4)
• Stefanos Tsitsipas (12) beat Tomas Martin Etcheverry: 6-1, 6-0
• Ugo Humbert (14) beat Zhizhen Zhang: 6-1, 6-4
• Jannik Sinner (2) beat Sebastian Korda: 6-1, 6-2
• Karen Khachanov (15) beat Francisco Cerundolo: 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
• Lorenzo Sonego (LL) beat Felix Auger-Aliassime: 6-4, 7-5
• Alexei Popyrin beat Andrey Rublev (6): 6-4, 6-4
• Alex De Minaur (11) beat Tallon Griekspoor: 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
• Lorenzo Musetti beat Arthur Fils: 6-3, 7-5
• Jan-Lennard Struff beat Borna Coric: 7-6 (2), 6-1
• Alexander Zverev (5) beat Sebastian Ofner: 6-3, 6-4
• Novak Djokovic (1) beat Roman Safiullin: 6-1, 6-2

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