11:33
Bautista Agut – Zverev 2: 1
A little later, Zverev appears on the net, actually has time for the backhand – and puts it in the net without need. This is followed by the second ace.
11:32
Bautista Agut – Zverev 2: 1
There is unrest in the stands. Zverev has to wait and promptly go over the second. The point still goes to him. After that, the Hamburger produces his first ace.
11:29
Bautista Agut – Zverev 2: 1
Bautista Agut uses his third ball. The 34-year-old has time to put himself on hand and plays it inside-out. Zverev doesn’t bring his backhand back. So the Spaniard submits again.
11:27
Bautista Agut 1-1 Zverev
In view of three game balls, Bautista Agut can then allow himself his first double fault. But in the following rally, the Spaniard slips up, his backhand ball is pulled to the ground too late.
11:27
Bautista Agut 1-1 Zverev
Then Zverev is lured forward again, briefly crosses the counterstop with his backhand. Bautista Agut suspects that, is there in time and successful with the backhand played cross.
11:26
Bautista Agut 1-1 Zverev
In this phase there are more longer rallies. In two cases, Zverev ends them with backhand errors.
11:24
Bautista Agut 1-1 Zverev
For the first time, Zverev has to go through the second. But the opponent’s backhand return is too long. And so the Olympic champion secured the game to 1:1.
11:23
Bautista Agut 1-0 Zverev
The next attack works better, Zverev puts the backhand unreachable. After that, the German hits hard, doesn’t allow a controlled return and gets the ball.
11:22
Bautista Agut 1-0 Zverev
Zverev is also looking for the way forward, but now catches the passing ball. Bautista Agut pulls the forehand down the line in a spotless manner. 15:30!
11:21
Bautista Agut 1-0 Zverev
So Bautista Agut has the first game in the bag two days before his 35th birthday. Now Zverev serves and immediately produces a service winner.
11:20
Bautista Agut 1-0 Zverev
Of course, Bautista Agut doesn’t give up, builds up a rally well and sets the backhand volley extremely sensitively. The Spaniard uses the third game ball he has won, attracting Zverev again. He gets to the ball in time, but then heaves it against the edge of the net.
11:19
Bautista Agut 0-0 Zverev
In the meantime, the first serve is actually extremely reliable, but the Iberian doesn’t know how to use the second game ball either. The edge of the net is in the way of his forehand and the felt ball cannot decide to move into the opponent’s field.
11:17
Bautista Agut 0-0 Zverev
Then Bautista Agut finds the first one and organizes a game ball. But then his forehand comes into contact with the ground too late, which is why it is about a debut.
11:16
Bautista Agut 0-0 Zverev
After that, the Spaniard’s first serve doesn’t come at all. Again Zverev gets into the rallies well, puts pressure on the forehand, moves up well and forces his first point win.
11:14
Bautista Agut 0-0 Zverev
A first longer rally then develops. Bautista Agut has to go deep to the backhand and sets a very smooth stop. 30:0!
11:13
1 sentence
At that moment, Bautista Agut opens the match. The Spaniard has to try the second serve right away, serving it through the middle of the square. Zverev stretches for the backhand return and sets it a little too long.
11:09 a.m
Because of Monaco
By the way, strictly speaking, this Masters tournament does not take place in the Principality. The Monte Carlo Country Club is only near Monaco – in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. This commune is on French territory. Of course, there is still a view of the sea and the Côte d’Azur.
11:05
Entry and coin toss
Our protagonists have just entered the Court des Princes. After a few steps of preparation, you meet with the chair umpire Manuel Messina to vote at the net. The coin falls in favor of Zverev, who opts for setback. Then both play a bit.
11:00 a.m
Head 2 Head
For the seventh time, the two professionals face each other on the tennis court. Bautista Agut won the first two matches in 2013 in Hamburg and two years later in Rotterdam in straight sets. Then Zverev turns the tables in Munich in 2017. Since then, the German has only given one sentence. By the way, the last duel was in Basel in 2018.
10:51
Bautista Agut recently in low form
At the Masters level, Bautista Agut made his biggest showing in Shanghai 2016, playing his only 1,000 final there and losing to Andy Murray. In the majors, the Iberian knew how to please as a semi-finalist in Wimbledon 2019. That year he climbed to ninth place in the world rankings. Bautista Agut has collected eleven tournament victories – the most valuable at the 500 in Dubai 2018. He completed his other 21 finals without exception in 250s. He played his last final in Adelaide at the beginning of the year. After the round of 16 at the Australian Open shortly afterwards, the form went into the basement. The world list 29. won only one match since then. It set three bankruptcies in a row. That spell broke just this week.
10:42
Bautista Agut at the Monte Carlo Country Club
Bautista Agut is serving at this 1,000er event for the ninth time since debuting in 2013. The Spaniard has never gotten past the third round. The 34-year-old played his first game the day before yesterday and had to compete with lucky loser Filip Krajinović after Mikael Ymer withdrew. The right-hander struggled for almost three hours against the Serbs and also made up for a set deficit.
10:33
Semifinalist just 12 months ago
As a former number two in the world, Olympic champion, two-time ATP champion, US Open finalist in 2020 and five-time winner of Masters tournaments with a total of 19 tournament victories, Zverev naturally has certain claims. The current world number sixteen has also delivered at the Monte Carlo Country Club, where he was in the semi-finals in 2018 and 2022. The Hamburg native has been there for the seventh time since making his debut in 2016 and is seeded 13th this year. At the start, Zverev defeated Kazakh Alexander Bublik after a set deficit in a good two hours yesterday.
10:24
The search for the form
So on the arduous way back to old form, Zverev is now working on sand. After the comeback at the beginning of the year, the Olympic champion initially failed to win two matches in a row. The end of the working day was regularly correspondingly early. Only at the 500 in Dubai did the knot seem to burst. There the 25-year-old stormed into the semi-finals and failed there at Andrey Rublev. At the following first Masters of the season in Indian Wells it was already over in the round of 16, but the right-handed player did very well in the very narrow three-set defeat against Daniil Medvedev. Shortly thereafter at the 1,000 in Miami, there was another setback with the opening defeat against Taro Daniel.
10:14
bon jour!
Welcome to the Masters Tournament of Tennis Pros at the Monte Carlo Country Club! From 11:00 a.m. the balls will fly on the Côte d’Azur, then Roberto Bautista Agut and Alexander Zverev will face each other on the Court des Princes.