Thiem was only able to keep the game open at the beginning of the second set against the Spaniard Bautista Agut, who had stood in for Frenchman Arthur Cazaux, and lost in just 71 minutes.
The Lower Austrian will soon lose his top 100 position. He is currently number 95 in the ATP live ranking, after Monte Carlo he will drop 45 points from the second round exit last year at the same venue on April 15th. His next planned appearance is in mid-April at the ATP250 tournament in Munich, where the 30-year-old received a wildcard.
Ofner vs. Evans
Sebastian Ofner received a feasible draw in the first round. The 27-year-old Styrian, who is competing in the Principality for the first time, will face the Brit Daniel Evans for the first time. The 33-year-old is five places ahead of Austria’s best tennis player in the ATP rankings in 42nd place.
