Charles Baus/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA
Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Laslo Djere: ATP Monte Carlo – first round
The two-time Monte Carlo Masters winner Stefanos Tsitsipas will start this year’s journey against Laslo Djere in the first round.
Stefanos Tsitsipas Profile
Stefanos Tsitsipas is currently 12th in the ATP rankings, while his career high was No. 3 in the world. The Greek is 11-6 for the season and is about to play the first tournament on clay this year.
Tsitsipas took a week off after losing the opening match in Miami, 6-2, 6-4, to Denis Shapovalov. In the previous week, he lost in the round of 16 in Indian Wells with the same score against Jiri Lehecka.
Tsitsipas’ best result this season was the semifinal in Los Cabos, where he lost to Casper Ruud.
This is his sixth appearance in Monte Carlo, and he won the title in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022. He has won a total of 11 titles in his career, with the last one being in Los Cabos last year.
Laslo Djere Profile
Laslo Djere is 34th in the ATP rankings, seven spots lower than his career high. The Serbian is 3-7 for the season and 2-3 on clay courts.
Djere is coming off a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 loss to Fabio Fognini in the round of 16 in Marrakech. Previously in Miami, he lost in the second round to Karen Khachanov.
He won only one match in each of the previous clay court tournaments in Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro.
This is his fifth appearance at Monte Carlo, and he has made it out of the first round only once in 2022. Djere has won two ATP titles in his career, with the last one being in Sardinia in 2020.
Head-to-Head Tsitsipas leads 4-0
- Tsitsipas vs Djere 6-4, 7-6, 6-4 (2023 Wimbledon, third round)
- Tsitsipas vs Djere 7-5, 7-6 (2022 ATP Monte Carlo, round of 16)
- Tsitsipas vs Djere 7-6, 7-6 (2022 ATP Acapulco, first round)
- Tsitsipas vs Djere 2-6, 7-5, 7-5 (2016 Casablanca 2 Challenger, quarterfinal)
Prediction and Conclusion
Both players have had a difficult start to the season, which has resulted in Tsitsipas falling out of the top 10 in the ATP rankings. The Greek has been playing well on clay courts in recent seasons, and that was especially the case in Monte Carlo, where he won back-to-back titles. His confidence and game are not on the necessary level to be a serious contender to win this year as well, but he starts against a player he has never lost to in the previous four matches. Laslo Djere has only three wins this season and will be no threat to Tsitsipas as the Greek will win in straight sets.
