Tuesday's tennis acca tips: Monte Carlo Masters first round

The Monte Carlo Masters takes centre stage this week in the world of tennis.

The first of the three clay court Masters tournaments may not be mandatory, but the big names are out in force.

Here we make our picks for selected Monte Carlo Masters matches, scheduled to take place on, Tuesday 9 April 2024.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Alex De Minaur vs Stanislas Wawrinka | Pick: De Minaur

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Gael Monfils vs Jordan Thompson | Pick: Monfils

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper | Pick: Hurkacz

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Miomir Kecmanovic vs Matteo Berrettini | Pick: Berrettini

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Nicolas Jarry vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry | Pick: Etcheverry

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Facundo Diaz Acosta | Pick: Diaz Acosta

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Sebastian Korda vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina | Pick: Davidovich Fokina

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Zhizhen Zhang vs Marcos Giron | Pick: Giron

 

Planet Sport Bet offer: Place a £5+ cash all correct accumulator (Min. 5 selections) on tennis and get up to a 50% BONUS on your winnings

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Alex De Minaur vs Stanislas Wawrinka

Alex De Minaur will play his first match on clay this season in his first career meeting with Stan Wawrinka.

The Grand Slam-winning veteran faces the rising Australian star on a surface that suits him.

De Minaur has traditionally taken a light workload during the clay swing, but with this season also including the Olympics on clay, he might look to make a bigger splash.

De Minaur's recent form suggests he can overcome the surface and Wawrinka.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Gael Monfils vs Jordan Thompson

Another veteran ATP Tour star, Gael Monfils, faces an in-form Australian in Jordan Thompson in the principality.

Monfils and Thompson have met twice before, curiously, both those meetings were in Masters events.

Thompson won when they met at Indian Wells in March 2023, while Monfild was the victor in their Miami Open clash just last month.

Monfils will be eager to put in a strong clay swing and do well in his home events.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Hubert Hurkacz vs Jack Draper

Neither Hubert Hurkacz nor Jack Draper are terribly in love with clay as a surface, although the Pole has a decent record.

Hurkacz has often opted to sit out large portions of the clay season, with his game more suited to faster surfaces.

Draper has a slightly more balanced game, but his inexperience on clay could count against him.

The player that settles down quicker and adapts to the surface should take the contest.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Miomir Kecmanovic vs Matteo Berrettini

Matteo Berrettini and Miomir Kecmanovic both would have grown up playing on clay quite a lot.

Berrettini returned to form with a title run in Marrakech last week that has also left him 5-0 on clay this season.

Kecmanovic owns the win from the only past meeting between these players.

The Serbian beat Berrettini at Indian Wells in 2022 in a three-set battle upsetting the then-seeded Italian.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Nicolas Jarry vs Tomas Martin Etcheverry

Tomas Martin Etcheverry might hold the edge in this battle between South Americans.

This will be the sixth time these players have clashed in a senior men's singles match, with all of their meetings coming on clay.

It will sting Etcheverry that he was forced to retire in their most recent match, which was on his home soil.

Jarry holds a 3-2 lead in the head-to-head, but Etcheverry has grown in confidence of late.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Roberto Bautista Agut vs Facundo Diaz Acosta

World No 53 Facundo Diaz Acosta can achieve a new career high with a decent run in Monte Carlo.

Diaz Acosta has played a phenomenal amount of clay court tennis in the last few seasons.

Even though the veteran Spaniard should be comfortable on the red stuff, Diaz Acosta should be a player in the groove.

This is the first time these players have been slated to meet each other in singles competition.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Sebastian Korda vs Alejandro Davidovich Fokina

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina will be a crowd favourite in Monte Carlo, and his past success at the venue will stand him in good stead.

He faces an American with limited clay court experience, and this gives him a leg up.

Korda earned a dominant win over the Spaniard in their only ATP Tour meeting but that result came on a hard court.

Korda won just one match on clay last season and this clash will be the first on the surface for both players in 2024.

 

ATP Monte Carlo Masters: Zhizhen Zhang vs Marcos Giron

The only previous clash between these men came in an ITF tournament all the way back in 2017 with Zhizhen Zhang victorious.

Giron started his clay swing with a run to the quarter-finals in Houston while the rising Chinese star starts his swing in Monte Carlo.

Giron struggled on clay during the early part of his career but has become stronger on the surface and should take confidence from his wins in the US Men's Clay Court Championships.

Just one rankings place separates these players and Giron's warm-up in Houston may give him a decisive edge.