Holger Rune shows clay class in win over Dominic Thiem in Monte Carlo to suggest changing of guard

The first Masters 1000 tournament of the European clay swing is well under way in Monte Carlo with Novak Djokovic heading a field of the ATP’s leading names. However, while world No.

1 Djokovic is present in the principality, the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, is absent through injury. Ad It is a significant talking point in the tennis world as to who could go on to emerge as his successor in the years ahead, with many tipping Carlos Alcaraz as the one to dominate on the red dirt.

ATP Monte CarloHighlights: Rune eases past Thiem to reach last 16 at Monte Carlo5 HOURS AGO The world No. 2 may well take on his compatriot’s mantle, but there are a number of other young guns who could emerge as serious contenders and we went along to see three of them in action on the fifth day in Monte Carlo.

The new Prince of Clay? Watch out for Rune… For a long period between 2016 and 2020 the heir apparent to Nadal’s clay-court throne appeared to be Dominic Thiem. The Austrian reached four successive Roland Garros semi-finals and back-to-back finals in 2018 and 2019, where his hopes of lifting La Coupe des Mousquetaires were only thwarted by the irrepressible and relentless Nadal.

It was a similar story in the Masters 1000 tournaments on the dirt where Thiem has never taken home the winner’s trophy in Monte Carlo, Rome and Madrid, despite reaching two finals in the Spanish capital. Interestingly, Thiem has won 10 of his 17 tour-level crowns on clay, but his breakthrough at majors and Masters 1000 level was on hard court, coming from behind to defeat Roger Federer in the 2019 Indian Wells final before once again triumphing from the jaws of defeat to overcome a two-set deficit and beat Alexander Zverev to claim his only major title at the 2020