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<\/a><\/p>\n(Reuters) – Champion Stefanos Tsitsipas crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters when he slumped to a 6-2 6-4 defeat against American Taylor Fritz in the quarter-finals on Friday.<\/p>\n
Greek second seed Tsitsipas, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Country Club in the last two editions, was never in the mix against Fritz, who reached the last four of a Masters event for the first time.<\/p>\n
“I just seemed off. My serve was not working very well today, and against opponents like Taylor, you have to serve well,\u201d Tsitsipas said.<\/p>\n
“I was aware of that during the match. I just couldn’t find the rhythm. I am much better than this and I’m disappointed I was not able to show my game today. <\/p>\n
“I tried to fight in the second set. It’s a good lesson. It’s not a happy day for me, but it’s a good lesson.”<\/p>\n
Eighth-seeded Fritz raced to a 4-0 lead in the opening set, which he wrapped up by winning his service game to love.<\/p>\n
Tsitsipas improved slightly in the second set, only for Fritz to break decisively for 4-3 with a winner. He then held firm to set up a semi-final meeting with Russian Andrey Rublev, who earlier overcame some second-set nerves to dispatch German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff with a 6-1 7-6(5) victory.<\/p>\n
Rublev lost the first game on his serve before bagging six in a row in a quick opening set, but Struff, the world number 100, found his stride in the second as the fifth seed showed signs of nerves.<\/p>\n
Rublev broke for 4-3, only for Struff to break back in the following game and force a tiebreak, in which the Russian regained his composure to prevail on his second match point.<\/p>\n
In the other half of the draw, Denmark’s Holger Rune tormented third seed Daniil Medvedev with passing shots and drop shots to advance with a 6-3 6-4 victory.<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old Rune, who proved a sensation at last year’s French Open when he reached the quarter-finals, dropped only six points on serve in the opening set and converted his only break chance in the second.<\/p>\n
He will next meet Jannik Sinner, who dismantled Lorenzo Musetti 6-2 6-2 in an all-Italian clash.<\/p>\n
Seventh seed Sinner saved all five of the break points he faced against Musetti, who beat world number one Novak Djokovic on Thursday. <\/p>\n
\n(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis and Pritha Sarkar)<\/p>\n
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