Stan Wawrinka’s title defence at the Monte Carlo Masters was off to a solid start on Wednesday with 6-1 6-4 win over Juan Monaco in the second round.
The seventh-seeded Swiss, who won his maiden Masters tournament last year at the Country Club, won 15 of the first 20 points and broke twice to build a 5-1 lead before serving out the first set to love.
After conceding only two points on his serve in the opener, Wawrinka was made to work harder in a second set featuring five breaks of serve.
Eight-time champion Rafael Nadal will open his campaign against wildcard entry Lucas Pouille, while second-seeded Roger Federer will take on Frenchman Jeremy Chardy.