Sinner and Alcaraz Advance to Quarter-Finals at Monte-Carlo Masters

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner ended his 37-set winning streak at the Masters 1000 level but still managed to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Sinner defeated Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-7, 6-3, despite struggling with his energy levels during the match. Sinner had previously won titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open without dropping a set and was aiming to dethrone current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. "I was a bit tired, but I pushed myself through and found ways to win, which is what matters," Sinner said. Sinner will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals after the Canadian progressed following Casper Ruud's retirement. Alcaraz also dropped a set before securing a 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 win over Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry to continue his title defence. The Spaniard made 23 unforced errors in the second set, allowing Etcheverry to force a third set. However, Alcaraz regained his composure to win the match. "I was feeling the ball well in the first set, but then I didn't take my chances in the second set, and Etcheverry gained confidence," Alcaraz said. Alcaraz will play Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals, while 19-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time after defeating Matteo Berrettini 6-3, 6-2. Alexander Zverev defeated Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5 to reach the tournament's last eight for the first time since 2022. Other winners included Alex De Minaur, Valentin Vacherot, and Ekaterina Alexandrova's conqueror, Karolina Pliskova. In other news, Holger Rune will return to action at the Hamburg Open after undergoing Achilles surgery in October. "The hard work starts in Hamburg, and I'm excited to be back on clay and experience the atmosphere again after a long break," the 22-year-old Dane said.