Jannik Sinner swept past Sebastian Korda 6-1 6-2 after 76 minutes in his first match on clay this season to reach the third round at the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters.
Sinner saved all three break points he faced and won 95% of his first service points.
Sinner started the match with an early break in the first game. The 2024 Australian Open champion faced three break points in the second game, but he saved them.
Sinner broke twice more in the fifth and seventh games and held two service games at 15 to win the first set 6-1. The world number 2 player held serve at love in the first game and earned four break points in the second game, but Korda saved all of them.
Sinner broke Korda for the first time in the second set to take a 3-1 lead. Sinner sealed the win 6-1 6-2 with his second break in the eighth game, when Korda was serving to stay in the match.
“I think me and Sebi have similar game styles, so we are not playing like the classic clay-court specialists. We like to play quite flat, but I moved quite well in these conditions. Every year it is tough to come here and perform well but I am happy with the performance. Let’s see what is coming in the next round, it is always great to be back here”, said Sinner.
Sinner set up a third round match against Jan-Lennard Struff, who beat Borna Corin 7-6 (7-2) 6-1.
Two-time Monte-Carlo champion Stefanos Tsitsipas cruised past Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1 6-0 after 64 minutes to set up a blockbuster match against Alexander Zverev. Etcheverry started the match with an early break in the first game of the first set, but Tsitsipas broke six times and hit 22 winners.
Italian lucky loser Lorenzo Sonego beat Felix Auger Aliassime 6-4 7-5 to reach the Round of 16 in a Masters 1000 tournament for the sixth time in his career.
Sonego will face Ugo Humbert, who beat Zhizhen Zhang 6-1 6-4. The 28-year-old Italian player achieved his best result in Monte-Carlo in 2019 when he reached the quarter final.
Sonego converted his second break point in the ninth game to take a 5-4 lead and served out the first set on his second opportunity in the 10th game. Auger Aliassime broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Sonego broke back in the ninth game for 4-5 and held serve at 15 to draw level to 5-5. Sonego converted his third break point in the 11th game, when Auger Aliassime hit his forehand into the net. Sonego served out the second set 7-5 on his sixth match point in the 12th game.
