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 defeat Tomas Machac 6-1, 6-7, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Monte-Carlo Masters. Sinner had previously won titles at Indian Wells and the Miami Open without dropping a set. Despite struggling with fatigue, Sinner recovered to secure the win and continue his pursuit of dethroning world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz. 'Not every day is the same, I was struggling a bit, 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.' Sinner will face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarter-finals after the sixth seed progressed when Casper Ruud retired due to injury. Alcaraz also dropped a set before defeating Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to continue his title defence. The Spaniard made 23 unforced errors in the second set, allowing Etcheverry to force a third set. However, Alcaraz recovered to secure the win and will face Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals. Elsewhere, 19-year-old Joao Fonseca reached the quarter-finals of a Masters 1000 event for the first time with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Matteo Berrettini. Alexander Zverev also reached the quarter-finals with a 6-2, 7-5 win over Zizou Bergs. Other winners included Alex De Minaur, Valentin Vacherot, and Anastasia Potapova. In other news, Holger Rune will return to action at the Hamburg Open next month after undergoing Achilles surgery in October.