Photo: Ron C. Angle
Playing his first match on clay since Roland Garros last May, Marcos lost out to Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-4, 6-2 Tuesday in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters, an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournament.
World No. 32 Montanes, who has already reached one clay-court semi-final this season in Buenos Aires, broke serve in the opening game of the match and denied Marcos on eight subsequent break point opportunities to close out a one-set lead.
The Spaniard then capitalised on his momentum by breaking serve again in the opening game of the second set, courtesy of successive forehand errors from Marcos. This time Marcos was not able to create any chances to break back and it was Montanes who secured a second break of serve, in the fifth game, before going on to seal victory after 74 minutes with a driven backhand into the corner.
Marcos will now have a few days to practise more on the European clay before competing at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, which begins on 25th April.
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