Novak Djokovic (Photo : Getty Images)
If there is anything positive about Novak Djokovic's stunning loss at the Monte Carlo Masters, it would be the chance it gave to career rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in winning their first title of the season.
Djokovic's loss at the Monte Carlo Masters against Czech Jiri Vesely may have come up as good news for Federer and Nadal, who are both seeking good results for their respective agendas at the start of their European clay-court season.
Federer and Nadal have yet to taste any tournament success this year, with the former getting sidelined for more than two months because of a knee surgery, while the latter still finding his form that could allow him to play at a high level.
But with Djokovic out of the tournament, Federer and Nadal may finally have a chance to shine and get a boost of confidence leading up to the French Open, where the King of Clay bids for a 10th Roland Garros title, while the Swiss Maestro tries to extend his all-time record of 17 Grand Slam wins.
Nadal kicked off his the clay-season with a 6-3 6-3 win over Great Britain's Aljaz Bedene. The victory booked the Mallorcan a Round of 16 clash against Austrian Dominic Thiem, who defeated him on clay-court at the Argentina Open earlier his year.
"He's a great player and he's having a very good season," Nadal said of Thiem, who defeated Japan's Taro Daniel 4-6 6-2 6-0. "So he's confident. We'll see. We'll see tomorrow. I think I know what I have to do. Doing it is not that easy."
Federer also reached the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters after winning his post-knee surgery debut against Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-3 6-4. The 34-year-old Swiss next faces another Spaniard in Roberto Bautista Agut, whom Federer has defeated in all of their four meetings.
Meanwhile, Djokovic is expected to have plenty of rest heading into his next tournament at the Madrid Open in May.
The 11-time Grand Slam winner was the favorite to win the Monte Carlo Masters after a masterful run early in the season, most recently at the Miami Open, where he dominated the competition until the final round against Kei Nishikori.
But 4-6 6-2 4-6 defeat against Vesely had Djokovic packing his bags to reassess his bid in the clay-season, although the Serb admitted the defeat would not distract his preparations for the rest of the season, including Nole's bid to win his first ever Roland Garros title.
"I'm still confident. I'm still feeling I'm playing the best tennis of my life," he said, reports the ATP's official website. "I'll just rest, because sometimes that's what is needed, then get back on the practice courts, adjust to this surface that is completely different from any other, and hopefully I'll be better in the next tournament."
