Medvedev dumped out of Monte Carlo Masters by Khachanov, Sinner and Djokovic advance

Daniil Medvedev found himself in a heated argument with an umpire yet again prior to his elimination from the Monte Carlo Masters in a 6-3 7-5 defeat against Karen Khachanov in the last 16 on Thursday. In contrast, Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner both advanced to the quarter-finals.

Medvedev, the fourth seed, had previously performed well in Monte Carlo, reaching at least the quarter-finals in his last two appearances. However, he struggled to find his rhythm against his fellow Russian, Khachanov.

The match got off to a chaotic start with four breaks of serve in the first four games. Medvedev's double fault at 5-3 gave Khachanov the lead, and the world number 17 comfortably held his serve to win the opening set.

In the second set, Medvedev managed to shake off some of his early rustiness and had a set point at 5-4. Unfortunately, he failed to convert that opportunity and was unable to break Khachanov's serve.

Khachanov's ability to hold his nerve under pressure proved to be the breaking point for Medvedev. The fourth seed quickly lost momentum and in frustration, he threw his racket against the backboard after a disputed call from a line judge.

"Open your freaking eyes," Medvedev shouted at the umpire and supervisor, displaying his frustration. This outburst resulted in a point penalty being issued to him, adding to his woes.

For Khachanov, this victory marked his first time reaching the quarter-finals in Monte Carlo. He acknowledged that he had a mental advantage over Medvedev, particularly on clay courts.

"Mentally, even though I've lost a few tough matches to him on hard courts, I know he doesn't perform as well on clay. This gives me some extra confidence," Khachanov stated in his on-court interview.

Khachanov also mentioned Medvedev's occasional struggles with his emotions on the court. While he acknowledged that Medvedev sometimes uses it as a tool, he emphasized the importance of not getting distracted by his opponent's behavior and focusing on his own game.

In another match, world number one Djokovic faced an early challenge but managed to turn the tide and secure a 7-5 6-3 victory against Lorenzo Musetti. It was Musetti who had eliminated Djokovic at the same stage in last year's tournament.

Musetti broke Djokovic's serve in the opening game, but the Serb quickly responded with two breaks of his own to win the first set. The second set saw both players exchanging breaks, but Djokovic broke for a third time to take a 5-3 lead and held his serve to advance to the next round.

Reflecting on the match, Djokovic acknowledged.

Sinner is set to face Holger Rune, the seventh seed, in a rematch of last year's semi-final, which was won by the Danish player.

Rune completed his rain-delayed match against Sumit Nagal with a 6-3 3-6 6-2 victory. He then returned to the court and defeated Grigor Dimitrov in a thrilling three-and-a-half-hour encounter, with a score of 7-6(9) 3-6 7-6(2).

"It was an incredible match. It was physically demanding. I had a match earlier today that went to two sets, so I actually played five sets today, which was quite grueling," Rune commented.

Stefanos Tsitsipas, the two-time Monte Carlo champion, overcame a spirited comeback from Alexander Zverev, the fifth seed, to secure a 7-5 7-6(3) 7-5 7-6(3) victory. The Greek player, seeded 12th, took a commanding 5-0 lead in the second set before Zverev made an impressive recovery.

Tsitsipas, who emerged as the champion in 2021 and 2022, displayed composure in the tiebreak to advance to the quarter-finals, where he will face Khachanov.

Casper Ruud, the Norwegian eighth seed, also secured a spot in the last eight by defeating Hubert Hurkacz with a score of 6-4 6-2. He will now meet Ugo Humbert, the 14th seed.