Event of the Day: Monte-Carlo Masters Day 5
Our event of the day is the fifth day of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters tournament from the ATP Tour at the Monte Carlo Country Club in Monaco. Today there are the 3rd Round matches in the men’s singles and doubles competition. Monte-Carlo is the third ATP World Tour Masters 1000 of the season, the only one that is not mandatory for players to contest. World number one Rafael Nadal, in his first tournament as an individual since the Australian Open, continues his title defence against Russian Karen Khachanov.
Last year, the Spaniard triumphed for the second straight season and raised the Monte-Carlo trophy for the tenth time to set an Open Era record. He also holds the record with most successive victories at the same tournament, having won in Monaco eight times between 2005 and 2012. Of the eleven finals Nadal has contested in, he was beaten only in 2013 by Novak Djokovic, who went on to claim the tournament win in 2015 as well. The Serbian is looking for a big comeback after losing his first matches at both the previous Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami. Today he faces the number five seed from Austria, Dominic Thiem. Elsewhere, there is a big German duel between the third-seeded Alexander Zverev and Jan-Lennard Struff, while the Australian Open finalist Marin Čilić will take on Canadian Milos Raonić. In the doubles tournament, five-time champions Bob and Mike Bryan will matchup with the French-Monegasque pair of Hugo Nys and Romain Arneodo. Defending champion Rahan Bopanna, teamed up with Édouard Roger-Vasselin this time, play against Jamie Murray and Bruno Soares. Plenty of exciting tennis is guaranteed on the clay of Monte-Carlo.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the NBA Playoffs Round One Game 3 between the New Orleans Pelicans and the Portland Trail Blazers at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. The Pelicans took a 2-0 lead in the first-round series after two huge wins in Portland, 97-95 on Saturday and 111-102 on Tuesday. The San Antonio Spurs face the Golden State Warriors at the AT&T Center in San Antonio; while the Miami Heat meet the Philadelphia 76ers at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. In MLB, the New York Yankees clash with the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium in New York. In the Indian Premier League, the Kings XI Punjab encounter Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali. In the Premier League Darts, Phase 2 continues with the second night of the Double-Header at the Ahoy Rotterdam. The NHL Playoffs brings the duel between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. It’s the opening day of paly at both the Valero Texas Open at the TPC San Antonio and the Trophée Hassan II at the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat, Morocco. In the NRL, the Bulldogs go head-to-head with the Roosters at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney; whilst in the Super League, Hull FC come up against the Leeds Rhinos at the KCOM Stadium in Hull. In the Premier League, Burnley host Chelsea at Turf Moor in Burnley.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Fixture
Photos by Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters