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

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner ended his 37-set winning streak at Masters 1000 level after a tough match against Tomas Machac, but still managed to secure a spot in the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters with a 6-1 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 victory. Sinner had previously achieved the Sunshine Double without dropping a set, winning titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and also claimed the Paris Masters title last year. Despite struggling with fatigue, Sinner recovered to defeat his Czech opponent and continue his pursuit of dethroning current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. "Not every day is the same, and I was a bit tired," Sinner said. "I felt great before the match, but in the second set, I struggled to find the right energy. However, I tried to push myself through, which I have done, and I'm happy with the outcome. My main priority now is to recover." Sinner will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals after the sixth seed advanced when Casper Ruud was forced to retire with the Canadian leading 7-5 2-2. 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 faced an unexpected challenge in the second set, making 23 unforced errors and allowing Etcheverry to win the set and force a third. However, Alcaraz recovered and will now play Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals, their first official tournament match. Elsewhere, 19-year-old Joao Fonseca easily defeated Matteo Berrettini 6-3 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time. Third seed Alexander Zverev defeated Zizou Bergs 6-2 7-5 to reach the tournament's last eight for the first time since 2022. Australia's Alex De Minaur took a tight 7-5 7-6 (7-4) win over qualifier Alexander Blockx, while Valentin Vacherot made history as the first Monegasque in the Open Era to make the top eight in Monaco, following his 6-7(4) 6-3 6-4 win over Hubert Hurkacz.