Monte Carlo Masters 2016: Three young players to watch out for

Along with the established stars, a bevy of young talent will be in action at the Monte Carlo Masters this week. These promising youngsters are not just good enough to trouble the top players, but are also well-equipped to cause a few upsets.

Here is our pick of the top three youngsters who can leave an indelible mark on the claycourts of Monaco:

1. Dominic Thiem – Rank 14th (Age: 22 years)

With the rare gift of a single-handed backhand, Dominic Thiem has been making his presence felt on the Tour for the past couple of years. But it is this year that the 22-year-old Austrian has truly made his mark in a spectacular fashion and has started proving his versatility with aplomb.

Post the Australian Open, Thiem simply sizzled and soared as he embarked on the Latin American swing, winning a whopping 13 out of 14 matches. That run saw him upsetting Rafael Nadal on clay en route to the Buenos Aires crown, besides winning his first hardcourt title at Acapulco.

Back now on his favourite surface, he should be a force to reckon with this summer. He already gave a handful evidence of his fighting skills in his first match at the Principality on Monday when he had to come back from a set down to subdue Jan-Lennard Struff. He is on a collision course with two French Open champions – Nadal and Stan Wawrinka – both of whom he has defeated on this surface in the past. It won’t be surprising if he manages to overcome these two stumbling blocks and make a deep run at Monte Carlo.