Jannik Sinner sconfigge facilmente Sebastian Korda, avanzando al terzo turno a Monte-Carlo dove affronterà Jan-Lennard Struff.
Andrey Rublev’s title defense at the Monte Carlo Masters came to an abrupt end on Wednesday with a straight-sets loss to Australian Alexei Popyrin, while Jannik Sinner had a comfortable victory.
Rublev, the defending champion, struggled from the outset in his second-round match against Popyrin, who clinched a 6-4, 6-4 win. Popyrin, ranked 46th in the world, will now face fellow Australian Alex de Minaur in a potential quarter-final clash with Novak Djokovic.
Reflecting on his victory, Popyrin expressed his comfort on clay courts and his satisfaction in defeating Rublev, who had been in good form. Rublev’s loss adds to a string of recent defeats, following early exits in Miami and Indian Wells.
Sinner, the Australian Open champion, had an impressive performance, defeating Sebastian Korda 6-1, 6-2. He will next face Jan-Lennard Struff in the last 16.
Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev easily dispatched Gael Monfils with a 6-2, 6-4 victory. Medvedev will now meet fellow Russian Karen Khachanov in the third round, with the possibility of facing Alexander Zverev or Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarter-finals.
Tsitsipas, a two-time champion, showed signs of returning to form with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win over Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Other players advancing include Ugo Humbert, Lorenzo Sonego, Hubert Hurkacz, and Casper Ruud.
