ATP Rankings: Novak Djokovic extends lead over Rafael Nadal. Fognini shines
The third Masters 1000 event of the season in Monte Carlo is behind us and it has brought some significant changes on the ranking list. Novak Djokovic is spending the 248th week on the ATP throne and he has extended the gap over world no. 2 Rafael Nadal to 3075 points despite an early exit in Monte Carlo to Daniil Medvedev. The Spaniard has failed to defend 1000 points in the Principality, bowing out in the semis after a brilliant performance from Fabio Fognini to lose more than 600 points and make the chase with Novak even more difficult ahead of the following events on clay where he also has a lot of points to defend.
After another disappointing run in Monte Carlo, Alexander Zverev has stayed third but less than 200 points ahead of Roger Federer, entering Barcelona with a wild card to regain the form and score some wins after a terrible start of the season. Roger will use the following two weeks for practice on clay, returning to action in Madrid where he will make his first steps on the slowest surface since Rome 2016. Dominic Thiem has played another mediocre event on the favorite surface, losing in the third round to Dusan Lajovic and standing almost 1000 points behind the Swiss, hoping to reduce the deficit in Barcelona this week.
Competing in just ten matches so far in 2019, Kevin Anderson is still in contention of the high positions, moving in front of Kei Nishikori who failed to defend the points for the final he played in Monte Carlo a year ago. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Juan Martin del Potro and John Isner are still ranked in the top-10 and the biggest mover in the top-20 is Monte Carlo champion Fabio Fognini who is on a career-high 12th spot, just five points behind Marin Cilic. There are no new players in the top-20 and the first notable gainer is Dusan Lajovic who competed in the first Masters 1000 final on Sunday, earning enough points to enter the top-25 for the first time.
Guido Pella has cracked the top-30 after playing in the quarter-final, pushing Nadal to the limits in the opener and leaving Monte Carlo already with 16 ATP wins in 2019. Grigor Dimitrov has left the top-40 for the first time since February 2013, winning just eight matches this year and entering Barcelona with a wild card to test his current skills against the best clay-courters in the world. Twelve players are on a career-high position this week, including the youngsters like Jaume Munar, Taylor Fritz, Miomir Kecmanovic and Lloyd Harris.
from Tennis World USA http://bit.ly/2Gv33M5
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