The mens draw this year is something we haven't seen for a while. Rafael Nadal stated he's coming into the tournament in the worst form of his career. The dynamics change significantly when the man to beat is vulnerable. Who will take advantage of his slump?
Favourite- Novak Djokovic
Djokovic is in great form at the moment. His success so far this season has given him a lot of confidence that he can dominate the best. Djokovic is arriving at Monte Carlo after winning both Masters in the US beating Roger Federer and Andy Murray in the finals of Indian Wells and Miami. His game on clay is clearly improving too, having beaten Rafael Nadal in the final in Rome last year and putting up a fight in the Roland Garros final. If Novak continues to play so dominantly and Rafa doesn't find his form soon, he'll be holding the trophy at the end of the week.
Dark Horse- Rafael Nadal
This writer never thought they would not put the eight-time champion as favourite. Rafa's not been at his best for a while now and the lack of success has made him unconfident and nervous. His mentality is usually rock solid, but recently he has not been winning the big points due to his nerves. Despite the struggles, there's a reason they call Nadal the King of Clay. Rafa's an 8 time champion in Monte Carlo, and Nadal's game can change completely on his favourite surface. He's a fighter and can come back from adversity even in the toughest conditions. We can never write Rafa off on clay. The author visited one of his practice sessions in Mallorca to see for themselves just how hard he is working to be back to his best. If he wins his first few matches his confidence will rise, and he'll be a definite contender for the title. Don't get too comfortable just yet, Novak.
Dark Horse- Tomas Berdych
Tomas has a good draw for the tournament. With Nadal and Djokovic in the top half of the draw, the players on the bottom half have good chances of progressing far into the tournament. A quarterfinal featuring Milos Raonic and Tomas Berdych is possible. Tomas has the advantage on clay, so he definitely has the ability to make the semifinals.
Early Exit- Grigor Dimitrov
Dimitrov's first round match will be against Fernando Verdasco, who's just come off a semi final result in Houston. Verdasco beat Rafael Nadal in Miami too, so his confidence will be high. Grigor hasn't had much success so far this year, his best result was reaching the semi final back in January in Brisbane. His win/loss for the season so far is 9-6. Playing against a tough opponent like Verdasco when you're not at your best will be a difficult test for Grigor.
Potential Upset- Berdych d. Federer
Federer's draw is a tough one. A potential quaterfinal match - Wawrinka will be a difficult one for the second seed, however this writer believes he'll pull through. After struggling through that match, it's likely a semifinal of Berdych and Federer will take place. With Berdych's easy draw and Federer's tough one, we wouldn't be suprised if fatigue gets to him and costs him a place in the final.
It's an interesting draw this year. We're excited to see how it turns out. The Monte Carlo Masters starts on Monday, with top seeds making their debuts on Tuesday.