Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz played out a practice set in Monte-Carlo this weekend. The pair ramped up their preparations for the ATP Masters 1000 event, and both players fared well on the clay surface.
The pair are in opposite halves of the draw and therefore can only clash in next Sunday’s final. Such a tie would certainly be packed with entertainment if their practice session served as a taster of how the match could pan out.
The pair played out a practice set on Sunday but did not finish it entirely. Alcaraz raced into a 4-2 lead before Djokovic found his rhythm with a series of games which would have sent a big warning through the competition.
Despite not playing at his maximum, the Serbian won the last three consecutive games before they concluded, claiming a 5-4 success. The 24-time Grand Slam winner shared a few jokes with his rival and leaving the court.
Djokovic, 37, was only finding his feet but still put his younger rival to the sword with a series of devastating shots. The Serb will be hoping to win his third title in the Principality, in what would also become his 100th tour-level title.
Speaking ahead of the competition, Djokovic talked down his chances in Monte-Carlo as he is still recovering from an eye infection which caused him difficulties during his Miami Open final defeat against Jakub Mensik. Asked about continuing his good form over the coming days, the world No. 5 said: “I have a few more days until the eventual first round. I am still trying to get used to the clay; still managing a few things health-wise. Hopefully, I’ll be ready.
“Let’s see if I can carry that onto clay. It’s obviously a completely different surface and I didn’t have much time to get used to this tournament, so my expectations are not really high for the results here.
“It’s more about trying to get matches and as many as possible, and obviously try to peak towards the end of the clay season which is, of course, most importantly in Paris.”
