No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner eyes championship weekend in Monte-Carlo, taking on Felix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, Monaco’s Valentin Vacherot battles Alex de Minaur.
(2) Jannik Sinner vs. (6) Felix Auger-Aliassime
Jannik Sinner isn’t the world No. 1 (yet), but he is playing like it right now. Sinner is much less likely to win a tournament on clay than he is on hard courts; in fact, he has only ever won one clay-court title in his career compared to 23 hard-court crowns. So while he is not the favorite at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, the Italian is certainly second behind Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner will be encouraged by his record against Friday opponent Felix Auger-Aliassime. The second seed has won the last four times they have played — all last year. Auger-Aliassime has never managed to win a title on clay. The seventh-ranked Canadian hasn’t dropped a set this week, but he benefited from Casper Ruud’s retirement in the third round. Auger-Aliassime may manage to grab a set, but Sinner should make his way into the semifinals.
Cheryl pick: Sinner in 3
Ricky pick: Sinner in 2
(5) Alex de Minaur vs. Valentin Vacherot
Australia’s Alex de Minaur hasn’t positioned himself as a threat on clay, but here he is in the quarterfinals of the first clay-court Masters 1000 event of the season. De Minaur hasn’t been at his best this spring; he posted unexpectedly poor results on hard courts, particularly in his immediate loss to Stefanos Tsitsipas in Miami.
Quarterfinal opponent Valentin Vacherot, who hails from Monaco, scored an impressive upset of Lorenzo Musetti in the Monte-Carlo second round. Like De Minaur, Vacherot has enjoyed more success on hard courts. He’ll be playing in front of the home crowd, but I’m still giving de Minaur the edge in this one.
Cheryl pick: De Minaur in 3
Ricky pick: De Minaur in 2