On the evening of April 13, Beijing time, the 2024 ATP Monte Carlo Masters ushered in the first semi-final competition. No. 2 seed Sinner faced No. 12 seed Tsitsipas, who lost to Tsitsipas 4-6, 6-3, 4-6 in three sets and missed out on the first clay court Masters final of the season.
Sinner has been an eye-catcher in the new season, winning his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. At least the semi-finals at three consecutive Masters tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, the season reached a terrifying 25-1 record. In the quarter-finals, Sinner defeated Rune 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Tsitsipas, the king of the Monte Carlo Masters, won the championship in 2021 and 2022 in two consecutive seasons, and also reached the quarterfinals last year. In the quarterfinals, he defeated Khachanov in straight sets 6-4, 6-2 and advanced to the semifinals.
The two sides have a professional record of meetings, with Tsitsipas leading Sinner 5:3. This will be the fifth time the two players have met on clay in their careers, the last being at the Rome Masters 2022, when Tsitsipas played two sets in the quarter-finals.
At the beginning of the match, Tsitsipas took the lead 6-4 in the first set, and Sinner returned 6-3 in the second set. When Sinner led 4-3 in the deciding set, Sinner suffered leg discomfort and Tsitsipas seized the opportunity to win three games in a row to kill the match with a 6-4 tiebreaker.
In fact, Tsitsipas played more conservatively in the last two sets, especially lacking the courage to take the initiative to attack on key points. However, Sinner's body became the last straw that overwhelmed him. Of course, it must also be admitted that Tsitsipas's clay strength is indeed hard enough, and it has given Sinner enough pressure and physical exertion before.
Congratulations to Tsitsipas for reaching the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the third time in his career, and for his first tour final of the new season, with 650 points and moving to ninth place in the standings. In the final, Tsitsipas will face the winner between Djokovic and Ruud for the title.