At the Monte Carlo Masters, Jannik Sinner confidently advanced to the next round, while defending champion Andrey Rublev was eliminated from the tournament…..

Italy’s Jannik Sinner continued his impressive form from the hard court season to the clay courts, defeating American Sebastian Korda 6-1, 6-2 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters. Meanwhile, defending champion Andrey Rublev of Russia faced an early exit, losing to Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-4, 6-4.

Sinner, the second seed, showcased dominance on his first serve, winning 95 percent of points, and saved all three break points he faced. With this victory, Sinner extended his remarkable record to 23-1 for the year, having already clinched three titles, including the Australian Open, the Rotterdam Open, and the Miami Open.

Reflecting on his performance, Sinner expressed satisfaction with his movement on the court and acknowledged the challenges of performing well at Monte Carlo. He is set to face Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff in the third round.

In contrast, defending champion Rublev was unable to maintain his title defense, falling to unseeded Popyrin. Despite a brief resurgence from Rublev in the second set, Popyrin remained composed and secured victory, setting up a third-round clash with fellow Australian Alex de Minaur.

Popyrin credited his success to his ability to vary the pace, height, and spin of his shots, disrupting Rublev’s rhythm and ultimately clinching the win.