The Round of 16 at the ATP Monte Carlo Masters brought unexpectedly big problems for the tournament’s top favorites. Although Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner ultimately secured their spots in the quarterfinals, both had to play three sets and spend over two hours on the court to break their opponents’ resistance.
Alcaraz Through the Eye of a Needle Against Etcheverry
The tournament’s first seed, Carlos Alcaraz, defeated Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 24 minutes.
After a convincing first set, the Spaniard entered a series of errors. The statistics best reflect his aggressive but risky game: Alcaraz recorded as many as 45 winners, but also an incredible 47 unforced errors. On the other hand, the Argentine played much more cautiously, hitting 15 winners and 25 unforced errors, which brought him a tie in sets. However, the Spaniard’s quality prevailed in the third set, where he managed to save two match points during the duel and convert 5 of 12 break opportunities.
Sinner’s Drop in Concentration and a Victory on Experience
The second seed, Jannik Sinner, also had to play a deciding set against a tough Tomas Machac. The Italian won 6-1, 6-7(3), 6-3 after 2 hours and 1 minute of play.
Similar to Alcaraz, Sinner opened the match dominantly, but completely lost his rhythm in the second set tie-break. Machac paid dearly for his mistakes – he made as many as 49 unforced errors compared to Sinner’s 30. Sinner was much more secure at the net with a 100% success rate (6 out of 6 points won) and managed to save 4 out of 11 break points, which was crucial for the final triumph.
Joao Fonseca – A Rising Star
The sensation of the tournament, Brazilian Joao Fonseca, continues to demolish everything in front of him! After Matteo Berrettini swept Medvedev in the last round, the young Fonseca taught him a lesson, defeating him 6-3, 6-2. This victory definitely confirms that Fonseca is a player made for great things.
In other matches, Alexander Zverev routinely eliminated Zizou Bergs 6-2, 7-5 , while Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced after retired Casper Ruud at 7-5, 2-2. A surprise was delivered by Valentin Vacherot, who knocked out Hubert Hurkacz after a great three-set battle, winning 6-4, 6-7, 6-4.
See all Round of 16 results and the upcoming quarterfinal schedule in our central Monte Carlo report.