Defending champ Stefanos Tsitsipas and second seed Alexander Zverev kept their Monte Carlo Masters challenge on track on Thursday with straight-set wins to advance to the quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas dispatched Serbia’s Laslo Djere 7-5, 7-6 (7/1), while second seed Zverev eased past Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 7-5 in the clay-court tournament.
Tsitsipas, the world No. 5, is to play Diego Schwartzman for a place in the semi-final after the Argentine 12th seed rallied past Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Photo: Reuters
“I had to put in a very good performance,” said Tsitsipas, who lost in five sets to Novak Djokovic in the French Open final last year. “Laslo did not hand me victory, but I tried to stay 100 percent focused.”
“The tiebreak was pivotal and I am delighted to have produced that level of tennis,” the 23-year-old Greek added.
World No. 3 Zverev was to play Italian ninth seed Jannik Sinner, who shrugged off a blistered foot to see off fifth seed Andrey Rublev, last year’s runner-up, 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.
“For the second clay-court match of the season, I can’t complain too much,” Zverev said. “Yes, I have lost focus a little bit in the second set, but at the end of the day, he’s somebody that can really play. I’m happy with a two-set win.”
Zverev lost his serve immediately, but converted five of his 14 break points to reach the Monte Carlo quarter-finals for the second time in his sixth appearance.
“It’s great because here it’s a little bit slower I think than other clay courts that we play on, it is very important to get that confidence going on your serve,” Zverev said. “All around, it’s important to get these kinds of wins.”
Zverev’s next opponent Sinner lost his opening service game, but took a hold of the tie with a winning run of six straight games in the second set, despite the foot blister that forced him to retire in his Miami quarter-final flaring up.
The 20-year-old received treatment in the second set to have his right toe redressed, but canceled out his 43 unforced errors to 31 for his opponent with 40 winners.
He closed out the victory with a seventh break of serve after 2 hours, 20 minutes.
Earlier, Indian Wells champion Taylor Fritz saw off his doubles partner Sebastian Korda, the conqueror of Miami Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the previous round, 7-6 (7/4), 7-5.
“It’s crazy really, I have reached the quarter-finals in four of the last five Masters tournaments,” 13th-ranked Fritz said. “If I had been luckier in Miami I could have been five from five. I am in a good place at the moment. I seem to be improving all the time.”
Fritz was to play Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the Spaniard who knocked out world No. 1 Djokovic on Tuesday.
Davidovich Fokina progressed to the last-eight by beating experienced Belgian David Goffin 6-4, 6-1.
“I carried the emotion of beating Djokovic into this match,” Davidovich Fokina said. “I knew it would be a tough match as David won in Marrakesh last weekend. However, he appeared more tired than I was and I am delighted to have reached the quarter-finals.”
There was an upset, though, as Norwegian fourth seed Casper Ruud followed Djokovic and Alcaraz out of the tournament.
The Miami Open finalist was beaten by Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria 6-3, 7-5, who was to meet Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz for a place in the semi-finals.
Hurkacz, the 11th seed, got past Spain’s Albert Ramos Vinolas 7-6 (7/2), 6-2.
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