<p>MONACO &mdash; Fabio Fognini opened the defense of his Monte Carlo Masters title with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Miomir Kecmanovic Tuesday as second-ranked Daniil Medvedev withdrew from the clay-court tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.</p>
<p>The 15th-seeded Fognini was set to start his campaign Monday but rain delayed his return by a day. Back on the stage of his biggest success two years earlier, Fognini advanced to the second round after hitting 27 winners.</p>
<p>The Italian baseliner triumphed on the Riviera in 2019, beating 11-time champion Rafael Nadal on his way to the title. The tournament was canceled last year because of the pandemic. </p>
<p>“It is really special because I was born here, I was born in (nearby) San Remo,” said Fognini, reflecting on his return. “I was practicing here since I was 14 years old. I have a lot of memories here.”</p>
<p>Fognini will face Australia’s Jordan Thompson in the second round. </p>
<p>Italian teenager Jannik Sinner, who was runner-up in Miami this year, also progressed to set up a mouth-watering contest with top-ranked Novak Djokovic. Sinner defeated 2017 runner-up Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 6-4.</p>
<p>Djokovic will be playing for the first time since winning his ninth Australian Open title in February.</p>
<p>Nadal is also playing in the tournament, chasing a record-extending 12th title here. He has recovered from a back injury and will be playing in only his second tournament of the season following a quarterfinal exit at the Australian Open. </p>
<p>“I am good. Honestly, I am confident. I am playing well,” Nadal said. “It’s true that I didn’t play much. At the same time, (it) is true that I had good success in the past without playing much." </p>
<p>Earlier, second-ranked Daniil Medvedev withdrew from the first major clay-court tournament of the season following a positive COVID-19 test. Organizers said Medvedev was placed in isolation.</p>
<p>“It’s a big disappointment not to play in Monte Carlo,” Medvedev said. “My focus is now on recovery and I look forward to getting back out on Tour as soon and as safely as possible.”</p>
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