Czech tennis player Jiří Leheček did not reach the first quarterfinals of the Masters series tournaments in Monte Carlo. In the third round, he did not finish a well-played match with world number ten Taylor Fritz, to whom he lost 6:4, 4:6 and 1:6.
Lehečka entered the match well, took a 3:1 lead and easily won the first set. But then Fritz took over the activity. At the start of the second set, the twenty-one-year-old Czech erased a 0:2 deficit, but the American favorite already had the upper hand.
In the deciding set, Leheček was no longer good enough for his opponent and lost it in thirty minutes. He thus lost to the twenty-five-year-old Fritz for the second time in his career. He lost to him for the first time in two sets at the beginning of the season at the United Cup.
Norwegian Casper Ruud surprisingly finished in the third round in Monte Carlo. His winning streak on clay was ended by German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff. The 100th player of the ATP ranking defeated the world number four 6:1 and 7:6. Ruud’s loss on clay comes after nine matches and triumphs at tournaments in Estoril last week and Gstaad last July.
Struff won the first set smoothly in 27 minutes and was also on his way to a quick victory in the second set. He broke Ruud’s serve twice again for a 5-2 lead. In the eighth game, he worked out two match points, which the Norwegian favorite, however, averted and forced the continuation with a break. He took the set to a tie-break, which the thirty-two-year-old German won 8:6 after an even course.
Ruud also defeated Struff in their third match on the ATP Tour and again did not lose a set with him. The German, who has not yet won a single tournament on the elite circuit, will play the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo for the first time. The last time he was among the top eight was last September.
Men’s tennis tournament in Monte Carlo (clay, subsidy 6,228,295 euros):
Singles – 3rd round: Fritz (8-USA) – Lehečka (CZ) 4:6, 6:4, 6:1.
