Pablo Carreno stood in the Round of 16 of the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 behind the abandonment of his rival, the Kazakh Alexander Bublikwhen an hour and 43 minutes of the match had elapsed.
There is no clear justification so far for the withdrawal of the Kazakh, thirty-sixth player in the world who publicly said “hate clay”, after beating Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round.
Carreño, nineteenth player in the world, had channeled the comeback of the game that ended with 4-6, 7-6(3) and 4-3. The Spaniard had just broken his rival’s serve and had to serve to make it 5-3 in the final set. He didn’t give time. Bublik went to the net and left the duel.
Pablo Carreño has already equaled his best record in the Monegasque tournament that he is playing for the sixth time. Last year he also reached the round of 16, his ceiling. But he lost against the Norwegian Casper Ruud.
The man from Gijón, who had already beaten Bublik the two times they had faced each other, although both times on a hard court, will face the winner of the clash between the Argentine Federico Delbonis and the german Alexander Zverevsecond favorite.
