Defending champion Andrey Rublev suffered a surprising defeat in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters, losing 6-4 6-4 to Australian Alexei Popyrin. Popyrin's strategic play, focused on changing the pace, height, and spin of the ball to disrupt Rublev's rhythm, proved successful in securing his spot in the third round.
Meanwhile, world No. 2 Jannik Sinner advanced smoothly through his first test with a commanding 6-1 6-2 victory over American Sebastian Korda. Sinner, who recently clinched the Australian Open title, displayed his top form and will now face Jan-Lennard Struff in the next round.
Other notable results from the tournament include two-time champion Stefanos Tsitsipas, the 12th seed, advancing to the third round after a dominant 6-1 6-0 win over Tomas Etcheverry. Tsitsipas is set to face German fifth seed Alexander Zverev in the upcoming round.
Additionally, French 14th seed Ugo Humbert secured his spot in the third round by defeating China's Zhang Zhizhen 6-1 6-4. Humbert will now face Lorenzo Sonego, who replaced the injured Carlos Alcaraz as a lucky loser and emerged victorious against Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime.
The Monte Carlo Masters continues to deliver thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as the competition progresses.
