Lehecka Qualifies For Main Draw
#NextGenATP Czech Jiri Lehecka overcame Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters to book his spot in the main draw at an ATP Masters 1000 event for the first time.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the season, reaching the semi-finals in Rotterdam in February, before he climbed into the Top 100 of the ATP Rankings for the first time.
In a dominant performance against Bonzi, World No. 98 Lehecka won 70 per cent (31/44) of his first-serve points and broke the 25-year-old four times to advance after 85 minutes.
#NextGenATP Dane Holger Rune has enjoyed quite a weekend. On Saturday, the 18-year-old captured his first ATP Challenger Tour of the season, before he then qualified for the main draw in Monte-Carlo on Sunday.
The World No. 91, who competed at the clay-court event in 2021, downed American Maxime Cressy 6-3, 7-5 in an all-court display to advance into the main draw. Last month, Rune reached the second round in Indian Wells after coming through qualifying at the Masters 1000 tournament.
Spaniard Bernabe Zapata Miralles will compete in the main draw at the clay-court event for the first time after he moved past Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-4, 7-6(8) in two hours.
The World No. 123 lost in the first round of qualifying last season, but ensured he wouldn’t fall at the same stage this year as he saved two set points in the second-set tie-break at 4/6 and 5/6 before eventually triumphing.
Finn Emil Ruusuvouri secured qualification by overcoming Italian Flavio Cobolli 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 20 minutes, while Spaniard Jaume Munar edged Oscar Otte 6-0, 6-7(8), 6-2 . Argentina Sebastian Baez fired past Pole Kamil Majchrzak 6-1, 4-6, 6-1.