Taylor Fritz earned his first Top 10 clay-court win on Friday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where he overcame defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals in the Principality for the first time.

The second seed Tsitsipas entered the clash on a 12-match winning streak in Monte-Carlo, having triumphed at the ATP Masters 1000 event in 2021 and 2022. However, he was unable to find his best level against Fritz, who forced the Greek into 18 unforced errors with his weight and depth of shot to advance after 70 minutes.

“I thought my level today was very high. I think I played a very good match. Beating him here gives me a lot of confidence,” Fritz said. “It has given me the reassurance I need to know I can play well on clay.

“I seemed to play well on the big points. I took my chances. I knew that if I played too safe he would be able to get around and dictate on the forehand. So even in the pressure moments I pulled the trigger.”

Fritz struck 17 winners and was dominant on his second serve, winning 70 per cent (14/20) of points behind his second delivery to reach his third ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.

The American has improved to 1-3 in his ATP Head2Head series against Tsitsipas and will next meet Andrey Rublev after the fifth seed defeated German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.

“He is a great player and a good friend and I am excited for the match,” Fritz said when asked about Rublev. “He is tough.”

Fritz, who defeated Stan Wawrinka and Jiri Lehecka earlier this week, is chasing his second ATP Masters 1000 crown, having lifted the trophy in Indian Wells last year. The World No. 10 holds a 23-6 record on the year, highlighted by his run to the title in Delray Beach.

Tsitsipas was aiming to complete a three-peat in the Principality after title runs in 2021 and 2022. The 24-year-old will drop two spots to No. 5 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings on Monday following his fifth defeat of the season.

Is this the week Andrey Rublev captures his maiden ATP Masters 1000 crown?

The fifth seed booked his spot in the semi-finals at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Friday when he moved past German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff 6-1, 7-6(5).

In a tale of two sets, Rublev hit with effortless power throughout the opening set, striking nine winners to move ahead. He then remained patient in the second set, finding the feet of the onrushing Struff at the net at key moments to earn his 16th tour-level win of the season after one hour and 39 minutes.

“I was able to show a great level through the match, except some moments where I started to show emotions and started to get negative,” Rublev said in his on-court interview. “In the end it was a dramatic match, especially in the second set. But I was able to calm myself down and play a good tie-break and I was lucky to win in straight sets.”

The 25-year-old now leads Struff 3-2 in their ATP Head2Head series, avenging his loss against the 32-year-old in their previous meeting at Roland Garros in 2021.

“I was trying to still be aggressive in the second set but he started to play a bit better,” Rublev said. “He started to play more aggressive. If I started to push, he would start to destroy me, so I have to be the one to hit the ball.”

Rublev will next face Stefanos Tsitsipas or Taylor Fritz as he aims to reach his third ATP Masters 1000 final and second in Monte-Carlo. The 12-time tour-level titlist advanced to the title match in the Principality in 2021.

In a heavy-hitting clash in Monte-Carlo, Rublev opened his shoulders in the first set, cleaning lines with his flat groundstrokes to pull Struff around. The fifth seed then remained patient in the second set, recovering from squandering a break advantage to advance.

Struff leaves Monte-Carlo at No. 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings after climbing 34 spots following his run. The qualifier, who was competing in his second ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final, defeated fourth seed Casper Ruud in the third round to earn the biggest win of his season.

Wake up, brush his teeth, play video games.

That may be Alexander Shevchenko’s perfect day without tennis. The 22-year-old recalled that was roughly the schedule that he and World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev kept when the tour was put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

“I like to game a lot, sometimes with Daniil Medvedev when we are in touch,” Shevchenko told ATPTour.com. “When we speak, we are playing games together like Rainbow Six Siege and FIFA. I’m usually Manchester United and he takes Bayern Munich, because he’s a fan of Bayern. Right now, it’s not so often because we have a tough calendar. When he has weeks off, sometimes I’m off as well.

“During Covid times, I remember we were playing so much that it was crazy. First thing, we wake up, go brush our teeth, eat, and then we sit down and play for I don’t know how many hours. I don’t even want to say it!”

The World No. 107 Shevchenko is relishing a breakout season on the ATP Challenger Tour. After claiming his maiden Challenger title in Bratislava last year, Shevchenko added to his trophy collection by claiming the Tenerife-1 Challenger in January. Two months later, Shevchenko made a splash at the all-new Challenger 175 event in Phoenix, Arizona, where he advanced through qualifying en route to a finalist finish.

But all didn’t look too well when Shevchenko arrived in Phoenix.

“I came into Phoenix with no expectations, I wasn’t even entered in the tournament because I messed up a little bit with the entries,” Shevchenko said. “So I went with my father to Indian Wells and from Indian Wells to Phoenix by car. We arrived there and there was no hotel room for us because I was an alternate and I couldn’t get a room there, there was a big baseball event going on at that time.

“I was like, ‘Okay, we didn’t get a hotel here but let’s see if we can book another hotel.’ And we opened up the booking and the price for the hotel was $1,500 per night. We were shocked and thinking about what to do, ‘We have to stay two days without knowing if I would get in and pay $3,000 for the hotel?’ In the end, we were just waiting in the car and it popped up at like 11 p.m. or midnight that there’s one hotel for $300 and we went there. It was crazy. We were preparing to sleep in the car.”

A full house at the Arizona Tennis Classic watches Alexander Shevchenko. Credit: Mary Grace Grabill

When ‘Sascha’ got settled into the Arizona Tennis Classic, things began to click for him. En route to the final, he ousted several players whom he enjoys watching on TV.

“When I got into the tournament and got an official hotel, my first [main-draw] match was against [Gael] Monfils, my idol growing up,” Shevchenko said. “The first match I ever saw was Monfils against Federer in the semi-finals of Roland Garros in 2008. I just fell in love with the way he plays tennis and his passion. He’s a showman.

“The quarter-final was the best win of my career against Matteo Berrettini, who is one of my favourites to watch on the tour right now. Unbelievable serve, unbelievable forehand.”

What’s noteworthy is that Shevchenko and the Frenchman Monfils share a coach, Gunter Bresnik, who has worked with prominent players such as Boris Becker, Patrick McEnroe, and Dominic Thiem.

Shevchenko, who has lived in Vienna since age nine, met Bresnik in a unique way.

“I went on holiday with my family to Kitzbuehel and I said to my mother, ‘I don’t want to ski, I don’t want to snowboard, I just want to play tennis!’ She wanted me to play other sports but she said, ‘Okay, let’s go play tennis.’ So we found a coach, an ex-player of Gunter, Markus Hipfl, he was surprised by how well I played and he said that I should come to Gunter and then he contacted Gunter.

“I’ve worked with him since I was nine years old. Year by year I’m improving with him and I trust him a lot. To me, he’s like a father.”

Alexander Shevchenko is crowned champion at the 2023 Tenerife-1 Challenger. Credit: Daniele Combi/MEF Tennis Events.

Knocking on the door of a Top 100 debut, ‘Sascha’ is hoping that his surge is just at the beginning.

“My goal [this year] is to get to the Top 70 or 60. It’s going to be really tough,” Shevchenko said. “I don’t want to say just to have big expectations but I think it’s kind of a reachable goal with the way I’m playing right now.”

Shevchenko is in action at this week’s Madrid Challenger, where he is seeded second and will meet Sergi Perez Contri in Friday’s quarter-final.

All four Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters quarter-finals are poised to be thrillers.

Leading the way at the clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event is an all-Italian clash between Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti, two 21-year-olds on the rise. Plenty of local Italian fans in attendance will make for a memorable atmosphere on Court Rainier III.

There will also be Top 10 showdowns between two-time defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas and Taylor Fritz as well as Daniil Medvedev and Holger Rune. Fifth seed Andrey Rublev will try to eliminate the resurgent Jan-Lennard Struff in a battle of powerful baseliners.

ATPTour.com previews each of the four matchups.

View Schedule | View Singles Draw | View Doubles Draw

[7] Jannik Sinner (ITA) vs. [16] Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)

All eyes were on a potential blockbuster showdown between World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and the in-form Italian Jannik Sinner in Monte-Carlo. Instead, Sinner will face countryman Lorenzo Musetti, who earned one of the biggest wins of his career Thursday against Djokovic.

Sinner showed good foresight — the seventh seed warned the media that the Djokovic-Musetti clash was not a foregone conclusion.

“I don’t want to talk so much because, as I mentioned, he has a very tough match today against Lorenzo,” Sinner said after he defeated Hubert Hurkacz. “He has improved a lot. You know, here is a lot of Italian crowd also.”

Sinner and Musetti are both 21-year-old Italians, but they are like fire and ice. Sinner is a ball-crushing machine, one of the biggest hitters on the ATP Tour who can take the racquet out of any opponent’s hand. Musetti is more of an artist on the court, painting masterpieces full of spin and angles, especially with his one-handed backhand.

Sinner, who won their only previous ATP Head2Head meeting two years ago in Antwerp on an indoor hard court, has been the more consistent player and is now 23-5 on the season. Musetti arrived in Monte-Carlo with a 6-8 record in 2023, but showed against Djokovic he is plenty capable of challenging and beating the best players in the world on his day.

“I kept believing in my team, in the hard work that we are doing every day, and I tried to adjust something,” Musetti said. “I think I worked pretty hard in the last month to achieve these results that they are showing up today. I’m really proud of my team and of my family that always supports me.”

[2] Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) vs. [8] Taylor Fritz (USA)

Will Taylor Fritz be the player who ends Stefanos Tsitsipas’ Monte-Carlo winning streak?

The Greek star has won 12 consecutive matches at the Monte-Carlo Country Club and claimed both of his Masters 1000 crowns at the tournament. During that stretch he has lost just one set. Tsitsipas also owns a 3-0 ATP Head2Head lead over his next opponent.

But Fritz is not the type of player to be deterred by the person across the net. The American is one of the toughest competitors on the circuit and he will try to dictate the action against the two-time defending champion.

Fritz will also carry confidence from victories against former World No. 3 Stan Wawrinka and rapidly rising Czech Jiri Lehecka in Monaco. If the powerful players reach tie-breaks, Fritz is 13-2 in tie-breaks this season compared to 7-7 for Tsitsipas.

Watch Tsitsipas R3 Highlights:

[3] Daniil Medvedev vs. [6] Holger Rune (DEN)

Daniil Medvedev showed Thursday evening that despite what he says about disliking clay, he is certainly capable on the surface. The third seed won a three-hour, five-minute thriller against former World No. 2 Alexander Zverev in which he saved two match points.

But will the 27-year-old be able to recover quickly enough to tackle the challenge of facing reigning Rolex Paris Masters champion Holger Rune?

The Danish standout is the freshest player in the draw, having received a walkover from Matteo Berrettini (oblique) into the quarter-finals. Like he showed in the Paris-Bercy final against Djokovic, Rune is not afraid of the big occasion.

But will the 19-year-old be able to break down the Medvedev defensive wall on Court Rainier III? This will be the pair’s first ATP Head2Head meeting.

Watch Medvedev-Zverev R3 Highlights: 

[5] Andrey Rublev vs. [Q] Jan-Lennard Struff (GER)

If history is a good indicator, Andrey Rublev and Jan-Lennard Struff should be set for a cracker in the Principality. While they have not competed against one another since 2021 Roland Garros, they have split four previous tour-level clashes.

It will be a rough day for the balls in play during this match, as both players crush their baseline strokes. A key will be watching for which man is able to take the initiative first and step into the court.

Struff was World No. 167 earlier this year because of a 2022 injury, but the German is up to No. 64 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings and can return to the Top 50 by making the semi-finals. He is also fresh off a straight-sets upset of fourth seed Casper Ruud.

Rublev, like Struff, is three victories from earning his first Masters 1000 title. The World No. 6 has happy memories on Court Rainier III, where he upset Rafael Nadal two years ago en route to the final.

Novak Djokovic’s loss to Lorenzo Musetti on Thursday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters could have repercussions in the battle for World No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

Instead of distancing himself from the field at the first clay-court ATP Masters 1000 event of the season, Djokovic may find himself in a three-way battle for World No. 1 by the end of the tournament with Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev.

If the Serbian claimed his 39th ATP Masters 1000 title this week in the Principality, he would have taken a 1,380-point lead over the field. Instead, the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings show he owns just a 470-point edge ahead of No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. Red-hot Daniil Medvedev can pull to within 1,080 points if he triumphs in Monte-Carlo.

Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings – 13 April 2023

It sets the stage for an intense battle over the course of the clay-court season. Djokovic and Alcaraz are defending nearly the same number of points during the swing, while Medvedev will barely drop any points.

World No. 1 Djokovic is defending 1,870 points on clay, with 1,000 of those points coming in Rome, where he triumphed last year. Alcaraz is defending 1,860 points during the same stretch, with 1,500 coming in the next two weeks, in Barcelona and Madrid, where he lifted trophies in 2022.

Medvedev currently trails Djokovic by 2,000 points in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, but the deficit is smaller than it seems. The 27-year-old is defending just 180 points for the entirety of the clay season, with all of those points coming from his fourth-round showing last year at Roland Garros.

If Medvedev wins the title in Monte-Carlo and you remove the points the trio are defending for the rest of the clay swing, it is Medvedev who would be in front. 

The former World No. 1 has openly shared his disdain for the surface. But with titles in Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai and Miami this year, Medvedev is playing his best tennis and will be confident, even on his least-favourite surface. That confidence showed in a thrilling final-set tie-break win over two-time Nitto ATP Finals champion Alexander Zverev on Thursday in Monte-Carlo, where he will play Holger Rune in the quarter-finals..

With so many points at stake in the coming weeks anything can happen. But Djokovic’s early loss in the Principality opened the door, and now it will be up to Alcaraz or Medvedev to walk through it.

Although Medvedev is currently No. 4 in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, he leads the Pepperstone ATP Live Race To Turin by 690 points, which shows where the battle for World No. 1 will trend by the end of the year.

Djokovic is scheduled to compete in Banja Luka next week and Alcaraz is set to play in Barcelona.

Daniil Medvedev survived a dramatic late-night marathon against Alexander Zverev on Thursday at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, where the third seed rallied to a 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(7) third-round victory.

Zverev served for the match at 5-4 in both the second and third sets and let slip two match points in the deciding-set tie-break on Court Rainier III, but he was unable to see off the ever-persistent Medvedev. A closely fought contest, during which both men produced high-quality play but struggled to do so consistently, was ultimately decided when Medvedev remained the more solid in the closing moments.

Medvedev trailed 5/6 and 6/7 in the deciding-set tie-break but Zverev errors on both points cost the German dear. Medvedev reeled off three points in a row to complete the win and reach the Monte-Carlo quarter-finals for the second time.

“That was a crazy match,” said Medvedev. “He served two times for the match, he probably should have done better, but that is also clay courts. I tried to watch a lot of tennis before playing this tournament, and one thing that I saw is you can come back at any moment. The serve doesn’t count as much, so as soon as someone gets a little bit tight, the match can turn around in one second. That’s what I managed to do.”

Both players enjoyed plenty of success on return in a topsy-turvy third-round encounter. Zverev broke Medvedev’s serve six times, but the World No. 5 converted six of 13 of his own break points en route to a three-hour, five-minute victory that increased his ATP Head2Head series lead against the German to 8-6.

Medvedev is now 31-3 for the season, having won 26 of his past 27 tour-level matches. The 27-year-old is chasing his maiden title on clay this week in Monte-Carlo, and Thursday’s win against Zverev represents his first win against a Top 20 opponent on the surface since he beat Kei Nishikori in Barcelona in 2019.

His opponent in the last eight will be Holger Rune. The 19-year-old Dane advanced to his maiden Monte-Carlo quarter-final after Matteo Berrettini, was forced to withdraw from the pair’s third-round clash due to an oblique injury. It will be a first ATP Head2Head clash between Medvedev and Rune, although the pair is not completely unfamiliar with each others games.

“He’s an amazing player,” said Medvedev of Rune. “We practised many times. The first time at the Nitto ATP Finals when he was still a junior. Then a lot of times at the Mouratoglou Academy. We practised a lot on clay. I don’t think I ever won a set, but I was playing good today, so I hope to show this good tennis tomorrow.”

How would you do trying to guess the autographs of the best players on the ATP Tour?

Andrey Rublev, Alexander Zverev, Hubert Hurkacz, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina and Thanasi Kokkinakis gave it their best shot in the newest edition of the ATP Head-To-Head Challenge.

“This is not even a signature, No. 3,” Rublev said, cracking a laugh. “When the pen is not working, you try to make it [until], ‘Okay now it’s working’.”

“Is this person very good?” Kokkinakis asked about one autograph’s owner. “Is it Alcaraz? That’s not Zverev? Medvedev? Tsitsipas? Sinner? Is that Novak’s?”

One of the funniest moments of the feature came when Rublev made his guess for one of the autographs only to be told he was incorrect. After the 25-year-old made several more guesses, he was adamant that the signature belonged to the first player he guessed.

Who was wrong, Rublev or the producers? Take a look at the full feature to watch us roll back the tape.

Lloyd Glasspool and Harri Heliovaara reached a fourth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final on Thursday, but the sixth-seeded pair did not have things all their own way at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters.

The British-Finnish team edged Argentine duo Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni 5-7, 6-4, 10-8 in the Principality. Glasspool and Heliovaara, who are making their debut appearance at the first clay-court Masters 1000 event of the season, saved seven of nine break points they faced en route to a narrow one-hour, 46-minute second-round triumph.

Glasspool and Heliovaara reached the quarter-finals in both Indian Wells and Miami last month, runs that built on their charge to the semi-finals at last November’s Rolex Paris Masters. Their next opponents in Monte-Carlo will be Romain Arneodo and Sam Weissborn, who produced a major upset on Thursday by beating defending champions and second seeds Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-2, 6-3.

The quarter-final lineup in Monte-Carlo was completed by fifth seeds Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek, who defeated Juan Sebastian Cabal and Robert Farah 7-6(4), 6-4.