Andy Schooler picks out his best bets for the first round of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.
Tennis betting tips: Monte-Carlo Masters round one
1pt Tomas Martin Etcheverry to beat Grigor Dimitrov at 4/5 (bet365, betway)
1pt Joao Fonseca to beat Gabriel Diallo 2-0 at 17/20 (BetVictor)
Tomas Martin Etcheverry v Grigor Dimitrov
Etcheverry is a proper claycourter and one who has already won plenty of matches on this surface this season.
The Argentine won the title in Rio in February, a week after reaching the semi-finals in Buenos Aires.
After going 8-1 on that South American ‘Golden Swing’, Etcheverry returned to the clay in Houston last week and made the last eight.
Frankly, his defeat to Tommy Paul there is good news for his chances in Monte Carlo where conditions are considerably different – notably slower.
That should suit Etcheverry as he goes up against a player who has struggled to return to anything like his best following a long-term injury.
Dimitrov is just 2-6 so far this season and this will be his first match on clay since Roland Garros in 2025.
The Bulgarian is presumably priced up on his record in Monte Carlo – two semi-final and three quarter-final appearances over the years – but that current form suggests a repeat is highly unlikely.
It’s also worth mentioning at this point that Dimitrov’s last match at this venue brought a chastening 6-0 6-0 defeat to Alex de Minaur.
I thought Etcheverry would be shorter than 4/5 and, at that price, he looks the bet.
Joao Fonseca v Gabriel Diallo
In simple terms, this match pits claycourter against someone who would rather be playing on any other surface – and I expect the result to reflect that.
I was close to backing Fonseca in the outright market – if you’ve yet to read that preview it can be read by clicking here – and I expect a good week from the Brazilian.
I certainly don’t envisage problems in this one.
Fonseca played well during the recent hardcourt swing in the US, unlucky to run into Jannik Sinner – who he tested to the full – and Carlos Alcaraz.
But those efforts in Indian Wells and Miami should have set him up nicely for the claycourt campaign, one which should see him come to the fore and, perhaps, show the world that he is the real deal.
Diallo’s big first serve will be blunted here and even on more favourable surfaces, the Canadian has struggled so far this season, going just 5-9.
He has limited tour-level experience on clay, his 12 such matches bringing six wins and six defeats. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Four of his victories came in Madrid where the altitude gives his serve a hand through the air. Away from altitude conditions, he’s just 2-5.
The most recent of those losses came against Alex Molcan in Bucharest last week where Diallo won just four games.
I would not be at all surprised were something similar to unfold here and am happy to back Fonseca to win in straight sets at a best price of 17/20.
Posted at 21:15 GMT on 04/04/26
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