© Corinne Dubreuil/ATP Tour
Andrey Rublev and Karen Khachanov win a Match Tie-break against Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin to reach the second round in Monte-Carlo.
Fognini/Schwartzman also advance
Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev opened their bid for a maiden ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday with a 6-7(7), 6-4, 10-4 victory against Jeremy Chardy and Fabrice Martin.
The Russian duo, which has reached two Masters 1000 finals (0-2), converted all three of its break points to reach the second round in 88 minutes. Khachanov and Rublev will face fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos for a place in the quarter-finals.
Fabio Fognini made a successful return to Court Rainier III when he partnered Diego Schwartzman to a 6-4, 7-5 win against Oliver Marach and Luke Saville. Fognini, the 2019 singles champion in Monte-Carlo, and Schwartzman won 81 per cent of their service points (30/37) during the first-round clash.
Cristian Garin and Guido Pella rallied from a set down to beat Jamie Murray and Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-6(4), 10-5. Henri Kontinen and Edouard Roger-Vasselin also made it through to the next round with a 6-4, 6-4 win against alternates Alexander Bublik and Dusan Lajovic.