Just when it seemed the match was settled, the Greek won four consecutive games to add suspense to the end. Ultimately, Cerúndolo broke Tsitsipas's serve again—the three-time champion of this tournament—to close out the match on his serve after several match points. In the second round, Cerúndolo's opponent will be Czech Tomáš Macháč, who defeated German Daniel Altmaier in the first round. Argentine Francisco Cerúndolo (16th) began his campaign at the Monte-Carlo Masters 1000 with a solid victory, defeating Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. Cerúndolo, aiming to break into the ATP top 15, won 7-5 and 6-4 in one hour and 45 minutes, according to the Argentine News Agency (NA). The first set was highly fluctuating; Cerúndolo secured a quick break, but Tsitsipas recovered promptly and even served for the set. However, Cerúndolo reacted in time, breaking his opponent's serve twice in a row to clinch the set 7-5. In the second set, Cerúndolo came out strong and capitalized on Tsitsipas's mental lapse to quickly build a 4-0 lead.
