Holger Rune and Grigor Dimitrov will likely face a difficult challenge on Thursday at the 2024 Monte-Carlo Masters.
Most often on the tennis court, players decide about the proceedings of the match with their serves, forehands, and backhands. But every now and then, mother nature decides to have a word.
That's exactly what happened at the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 tournament of the season. Early in the day, the start of the play had to be postponed because of the rain, and that returned later in the day.
Luckily for the majority of the player, they managed to finish their matches, but Rune and Dimitrov weren't so lucky, and that's why they will have to return to the tennis court on Thursday, and should they win their matches, they will have to repeat that one more time.
It's quite probable that they will, as they are not only the seeded players and favourites in their matches, but they both also have a significant lead that they shouldn't lose.
As the seventh seed, Rune had a first-round bye, and in the second round, he start against India's Sumit Nagal. The Dane won the first set 6-3 and in the second set he already has a one-break advantage, leading 2-1, but he was facing a break point when the play was suspended, as his opponent has an advantage.
This match will be played at Court Rainier III, which is the main court in Monte Carlo, after an all-Rusian match between Daniil Medvedev and Karen Khachanov.
Dimitrov also has a one-set advantage, leading 6-4, 2-1 against Miomir Kecmanovic, but without a break advantage in the second set. The Bulgarian's match will finish at Court des Princes after an all-Australian match between Alex de Minaur and Alexei Popyrin.
If they both win, but also if their opponents do, the match will be played as fourth in the schedule at Court des Princes, after the match between Alexander Zverev and Stefanos Tsitsipas.