World number one Novak Djokovic suffered a shock defeat by Alejandro Davidovic Fokina on his return to the ATP Tour at the Monte Carlo Masters. Djokovic has been playing in his first tournament since February after missing the US swing due to restrictions on his Covid-19 vaccination status. Davidovich Fokina won 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 to reach the third round. Djokovic had broken his serve nine times from his Spanish opponent. This is the first time that the 34-year-old Serb – whose last match was the defeat in the quarterfinals in Dubai – loses an opener in a tournament since 2018. “This victory is so special for me because I grew up watching Nole [Djokovic] “And I’m a big fan of him,” said world number 46 Davidovic Fokina. “I knew Nole was not confident because he did not play much this season. I had my opportunities at the beginning of the match and I used them. “When he won the second set it was difficult mentally, but I work hard to stay focused. I had to be prepared for the war.” Earlier, the Briton Dan Evans cruised the Frenchman Benjamin Bonzi in a straight set to reach the second round in Monte Carlo. The British number two was dominant in the first set, but the second was more open, Bonzi led 4-1 before Evans won 6-0 7-6 (7-4). Evans, a semi-finalist last year, will face David Goffin in the next round after beating Jiri Lehecka in a straight set.
