Sinner and Alcaraz Advance to Monte-Carlo Masters Quarterfinals

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner ended his 37-set winning streak at the Masters 1000 level after a tough match against Tomas Machac, ultimately securing a spot in the quarterfinals 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. Despite struggling with fatigue, Sinner managed to overcome his Czech opponent and continue his pursuit of dethroning world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. 'Not every day is the same, and I was a bit tired,' Sinner said. 'I tried to push myself through, which I have done, and even when you don't feel your best, you try to find ways.' Sinner will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals after the sixth seed 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 defense. The Spaniard faced an unexpected challenge in the second set but ultimately emerged victorious. Alcaraz will play Alexander Bublik in the quarterfinals, while other winners include Joao Fonseca, Alexander Zverev, Alex De Minaur, and Valentin Vacherot. In the Linz WTA 500 tournament, the second and third seeds, Ekaterina Alexandrova and Liudmila Samsonova, were knocked out, with 18-year-old Lilli Tagger and 34-year-old Karolina Pliskova advancing to the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, three-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist Holger Rune will return to action at the Hamburg Open in May after recovering from Achilles surgery.