Monte-Carlo Masters: Jannik Sinner matches milestone of “big three” with 20th consecutive Masters 1000 win

Jannik Sinner added another title to his CV with his 6-3 6-4 victory over Felix Auger-Aliassime to become only the fourth man to win 20 consecutive Masters 1000 matches, joining Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal.

The Italian returned to form after breaking his 37-match winning streak in the fourth match against Tomas Machac to dismiss the Canadian in straight sets and confirm his place in the semi-finals.

He also continued his charge to reclaim the world No. 1 spot after Carlos Alcaraz stepped down from Moetsalibe last November and held on to the top spot.

“I feel like it was a step forward today,” said Sinner, when asked how he felt about his win against Machac.

“It was a very difficult match. I knew I had to improve in some areas. The serve was not where I would like it to be. [to be]but all things considered I am very happy.

“Yesterday I was very tired. I recovered very well from last night’s sleep. We’ll see what tomorrow brings, but anyway, I’m very happy to be back in the semis.”

He will play Alexander Zverev isin the semi-finals after the German fought back to beat Brazil’s Joao Fonseca 7-5 6-7 (3-7) 6-3.

Alcaraz will play hometown hero Vacherot in the semi-finals

Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz cruised past Alexander Bublik 6-3 6-0 to confirm his place in the semi-finals as he looks to defend his place in the world rankings.

He went ahead of the Kazakhstani as he dropped just three games to continue his comeback after a quick exit in Miami at the hands of Sebastian Korda.

It was the first time Alcaraz and Bublik played in an official tournament, and the Spaniard dominated and boosted his confidence.

“I started the game well,” Alcaraz said. “I had two break points and I didn’t make it, and I lost some focus on the ball.

“I had to run the side a lot, I had to defend, and a few games gave me a lot of confidence in the game.

“I played aggressively and played a good, solid game against a player who you never know what he’s going to bring out next. I’m happy to get through and play another semi-final here.”

He will play the hero of his hometown Valentin Vacherot in the semi-finals after saving 13 points before downing Alex de Minaur 6-4 3-6 6-3 in front of roaring fans and becoming the first Monegasque player to reach the last four in Monte Carlo.

“It’s a great honor to be part of the semi-finals with three of the best players in the last few years,” said Vacherot. “I can’t wait to play Carlos in my hometown, it’s amazing.

“The boys in the crowd are singing along, they’ve been my best friends since I was nine or 10. It’s rare for a player to have this opportunity to be around so many people.

“I’m lucky to have competition on my team.”

Vacherot is expected to break into the top 20 when the ATP rankings are updated on Monday. Alcaraz was impressed by the 27-year-old’s rise.

Could the Monte-Carlo Masters be the key to McIlroy’s success at The Masters?

After finishing his second round of the Masters with a six-shot lead, Rory McIlroy spoke to the media about his plans for the lead in Saturday’s third round.

“Maybe I’ll try to take my mind off it. Usually that distraction is a good thing for me, especially on the tee and in the lead,” defending champion McIlroy said in his press conference. “Yes, there are two very good semi-finals in Monte-Carlo in tennis, so I will watch it.

“I think it’s Sinner and Zverev, and Vacherot and Alcaraz, so I’ll watch those. We’ve been watching tennis very early in the morning, so I’ll do that.”

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