Monaco’s Romain Arneodo and doubles partner Tristan-Samuel Weissborn beat a team containing world number 16 Alexander Zverev at the Monte-Carlo Masters on Wednesday.

After the exits of Hugo Nys, Lucas Caterina and Valentin Vacherot earlier in the tournament, expectations weren’t necessarily high for Monaco’s last-man-standing, Arneodo. “Romain is coming up against a difficult pairing, but we have lots of hope!” Monaco’s Davis Cup captain Guillaume Couillard told Monaco Life following Nys’ defeat in the doubles on Monday.

However, despite coming up against Zverev, a former world number 2, Arneodo and Weissman went on the offensive in the first set. Whilst Zverev held, his Brazilian partner, Marcelo Melo, was broken twice on Court 11 at the Monte-Carlo Country Club.

Arneodo is no stranger to success at the Monte-Carlo Masters, having reached the semi-finals of the competition alongside fellow Monégasque Nys in 2017. He and his partner relied on that experience in the second set, which was tighter than the first, and which relied on one crucial break late on.

Arneodo and Weissman ultimately prevailed (2-6, 4-6) to progress to the Round of 16, where they will face Great Britain’s Joe Salisbury and America’s Rajeev Ram. “We played very well. We were very solid. We’re doubles specialists, whereas Zverev is less used to it, he doesn’t have the same eye for it, even if he’s one of the best singles players in the world. In the doubles format, we had the advantage, and I’m happy for everyone, for Guillaume (Couillard), four ourselves, for the federation, and for Monaco,” said Arneodo to Codesport.

Former winner Stan Wawrinka knocked out

Despite defeat against the Arneodo-Weismann duo, Zverev’s participation in the completion is not yet over after beating Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut (6-4, 6-4).

Elsewhere in the singles competition, 2014 Monte-Carlo Masters winner Stan Wawrinka lost his second-round match against Taylor Fritz (7-6, 6-2), whilst Argentinian Diego Schwartzman was forced to withdraw hurt from his tie against Italian Jannik Sinner.

Sinner is joined by compatriot Lorenzo Musetti after prevailing in an all-Italian affair. He humiliated his compatriot, Luca Nardi, who on Tuesday beat Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot, by not conceding a single game in Wednesday’s match (6-0, 6-0).

Daniil Medvedev, one of the favourites in the competition, alongside Novak Djokovic and Stefanos Tsitsipas, beat Lorenzo Sonego (6-3, 6-2) to progress, and in the final match on centre-court, Holger Rune beat Dominic Thiem (2-6, 4-6).

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Photo by Monaco Life