Sinner Achieves 20th Consecutive Masters 1000 Victory as Alcaraz Advances to Semifinals

Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner has added another impressive feat to his resume with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime, becoming the fourth player to achieve 20 consecutive Masters 1000 match victories, joining an elite group comprising Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, and Rafael Nadal. Sinner bounced back from a recent setback, where his 37-set winning streak was broken in the fourth round against Tomas Machac, to defeat the Canadian in straight sets and secure his semifinal spot. This victory also marks a significant step in Sinner's quest to reclaim the world No. 1 position, which he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in November last year. "I feel like I've taken a step forward today," Sinner said, reflecting on his performance compared to the win against Machac. "It was a very tough match, and I knew I had to improve in certain areas. My serve isn't where I want it to be yet, but overall, I'm very happy. "I was very tired yesterday, but I recovered well after a good night's sleep. Let's see what tomorrow brings, but for now, I'm thrilled to be back in the semifinals." Sinner will face Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, who fought hard to defeat Brazil's Joao Fonseca 7-5, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz also secured his semifinal spot with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 win over Alexander Bublik, dropping just three games and continuing his comeback after a disappointing early exit in Miami. Alcaraz will play hometown hero Valentin Vacherot in the semifinals, who saved 13 break points to down Alex de Minaur 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in front of a roaring crowd, becoming the first Monegasque player to reach the last four at Monte Carlo. "It's an honor to be part of the semifinals with the three best players of the past few years," Vacherot said. "I'm excited to play Carlos in my hometown; it's amazing. "The guys in the crowd chanting are my best friends from when I was nine or 10 years old. It's rare for a player to have this chance to have so many people around. "I'm so lucky to have a tournament in my club." Vacherot is projected to break into the top 20 when the ATP rankings are updated on Monday, and Alcaraz was impressed by the 27-year-old's rise. After finishing his Masters second round with a six-stroke lead, Rory McIlroy spoke to the media about his plans for the lead-up to Saturday's third round. "I'll probably try to keep my mind off it. That distraction is usually a good thing for me, especially with a late tee time and the lead," defending champion McIlroy said in his press conference. "So yeah, there are actually two really good semifinals at Monte-Carlo in the tennis, so I'll watch that. "I think it's Sinner and Zverev, and Vacherot and Alcaraz, so I'll watch those. We've been watching the tennis early in the mornings, so I'll do that." Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, live on Sky Sports or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports app, giving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 percent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.