Djokovic and Tistsipas exit Monte-Carlo Masters

Unprecedented last four facedown this Saturday

This 116th edition of the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters is not over yet, but it is already unprecedented. No matter what, it will surely crown a new player on Sunday’s final, since it is an unexpected last four cast of gladiators who will battle on center court this Saturday in the Principality.

After a rather premature elimination, Thursday in the quarter-finals, of Novak Djokovic, double winner of the tournament, it was the turn, on Friday, of Stefanos Tistsipas, double defending champion, to see his hopes of a 3rd coronation fly away . The Greek, world No. 3, who is overjoyed on a series of 12 victories on Monegasque soil so dear to his heart, has made too many mistakes, especially in the forehand, to hope to counter the offensive and solid game of Taylor Fritz, 10th player global. The latter, already a quarter-finalist last year, won 6-2.6-4 in just 1h10. At 25, Taylor Fritz becomes the first American, since Vincent Spadea in 2003, to reach the semi-finals.
“Every time I play on this court, I feel good. My level was very high today. I had a good game. Beating Stefanos Tsitsipas here in Monte-Carlo… I find it hard to believe. I couldn’t have asked for a better boost to my confidence. To give me the confidence to believe I can play well on clay,” said Taylor Fritz.

In the semi-finals, the American will face world No. 5 Andrey Rublev, winner of the German Jan-Lennard Struff in straight sets 6-1, 7-6 (5). “Taylor (Fritz) hits bombs, he serves at 220 and he doesn’t need to move. That’s why it’s hard to play against him. If you watch him play, you’ll see he hits hard right away. For a year and a half, all his shots have been hitting the court, ”said Andrey Rublev, who will try to qualify for his second final in Monte-Carlo after that lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2021.

The other surprise semi-final will pit the Italian Jannik Sinner, 8th player in the world, against Holger Rune, world No.6. The young Dane, winner, won his first duel against Daniil Medvedev with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Nothing seems to be stopping the 19-year-old Danish prodigy, who was playing his second quarter-final in the Masters 1000. Last year, he made it to the quarter-finals of Roland-Garros by beating Stefanos Tsitsipas and last November he won the Rolex Paris Masters beating Nova Djokovic in the final.

The semi-final between Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner promises to be thrilling between these two nuggets of the new generation of world tennis. The 21-year-old Italian, who was playing his second consecutive quarter-final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, defeated his compatriot Lorenzo Musetti in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Like Rune, Sinner never stops progressing. He reached the quarter-finals of the 4 Grand Slams and became, 15 days ago, the first Italian to reach the final of the Masters 1000 in Miami. Holger and Sinner will both be aiming for a first final at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

Saturday’s Program

Swedish tennis legend Bjorn Borg guest of honor

Bjorn Borg was visiting the Monte-Carlo Country Club on Friday. The Swedish tennis legend, invited by Rolex, had lunch at the VIP Village. The former world number 1, winner of 11 Grand Slam titles and 3 titles at the Monte-Carlo tournament, had apparently kept none of his rackets. This is why he was given, by Jérôme Seguin, his sparring partner and former Monegasque Davis Cup player, rackets of the same models as those with which he played at the time.