Daniil Medvedev's disdain for clay-court tennis reached a dramatic new low in Monte Carlo, as the combustible Russian suffered the first 6-0, 6-0 defeat of his professional career. The world number 10 was completely dismantled in just 49 minutes by Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini, a performance that culminated in a spectacular racquet-smashing meltdown.

Frustration boiled over early in the second set after Medvedev dropped his serve. He first hurled his racquet against the backboard, then retrieved it and smashed it against the clay six times until it snapped in half, much to the crowd's amusement. The incident was a fitting symbol for a match where Medvedev, who has famously called clay "a surface for losers," won no more than two points in the final eleven games.

The statistics were brutally one-sided: 28 unforced errors, five double faults, and a dismal four points won from 21 behind his second serve. For Berrettini, the 2021 Wimbledon finalist, it was a stunning return to form. "I think I missed three shots in the entire match," said the Italian, who is climbing back from injury. "It was one of the best performances of my life."

In a classy post-match nod, Berrettini wrote 'scusa Carlo' on a camera lens, apologizing to Italian actor Carlo Verdone, who had recently named Medvedev as his favorite player. Berrettini now moves on, while Medvedev is left to regroup from a 'double bagel' defeat that starkly highlighted his ongoing struggle on the dirt.

Elsewhere in Monte Carlo, the upset trend continued as world number 15 Andrey Rublev fell in straight sets to Belgium's Zizou Bergs. The tournament also saw successful starts for top stars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who both opened their clay-court seasons with convincing victories.