TIE-BREAKFAST - 04/13 Monte Carlo Masters

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Ace Cream's daily newsletter during Masters 1000s and Grand Slams, every morning at 8:30.

Today is Monday, April 13, in Monte Carlo it's 08:30 and it's 19 degrees. Alright, let's go.

Today at breakfast

• 🇮🇹 Sinner beats Alcaraz in the final and returns to world number 1
• 🇪🇸 Alcaraz bounces back immediately: on court in Barcelona from tomorrow
• 🇩🇪 Krawietz and Puetz win doubles: first German pair in the Principality since 1992
• 🎾 Barcelona and Stuttgart week begins: the tour never stops

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇮🇹 Sinner Conquers Monte Carlo And Returns To The Throne

Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5), 6-3 in two hours and fifteen minutes, winning his first clay-court Masters 1000 and returning to world number 1 from Monday. It's his fourth consecutive Masters 1000 title after Paris-Bercy, Indian Wells, and Miami: only Djokovic and Nadal had managed that before him.

The match was played in strong wind that disrupted the rallies and made everything messier than usual. The first set lasted an hour and fourteen minutes, with Sinner capitalizing on a double fault from Alcaraz to close out the tiebreak. In the second, the Spaniard went ahead with a break, but from there Sinner reeled off five consecutive games, sealing it on his first match point. More than a demonstration of technical superiority, the feeling was that the match was decided by the ability to stay composed in the uncomfortable moments, the ones where the wind and tension could have thrown anyone off course. He won without playing his best tennis: 51% first serves in and zero aces. Alcaraz finished with 45 unforced errors and admitted he didn't play well in the important points.

In the press conference, Sinner said something worth reporting: he admitted he was surprised himself, but that he understood things that could help him in the upcoming matches. With this title he rises to 67 weeks at number 1, one more than Alcaraz, and adds his fourteenth Big Title. He will skip Barcelona and Munich: his next appointment will likely be Madrid.

🇪🇸 Alcaraz, A Defeat That Doesn't Erase The Week

Carlos Alcaraz leaves Monte Carlo without the title he won last year, but with the awareness of having played a good tournament up to the final. Against Sinner, the wind complicated everything, and in the key moments the Spaniard couldn't find the solutions he needed. The most significant thing, perhaps, is that Alcaraz never gave the impression of not believing: quite simply, yesterday wasn't his day in the points that mattered.

Starting tomorrow, he moves on to Barcelona, where he's the top seed and where the home crowd could be the best way to recharge before the long journey to Madrid and Paris. Losing the top ranking for a week, at this point in the season, weighs less than it seems: the European clay season has only just begun.

🇩🇪 Krawietz And Puetz, The German Doubles Pair Making History

Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz won the doubles final, defeating Arevalo and Pavic 4-6, 6-2, 10-8, claiming their second Masters 1000 together. They are the first German pair to win in the Principality since 1992, when the trophy was lifted by Becker and Stich. A detail that, for those who follow doubles, says something about the quality of this team.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

• ATP 500 Barcelona - The Catalan tournament kicks off with qualifying and first rounds. Alcaraz is the top seed, Musetti the second: the Tuscan debuts against Spaniard Landaluce, someone who actually reached the Miami quarterfinals this year. Also in the draw: de Minaur, Rublev, Draper, and Sonego.
• WTA 500 Stuttgart - One of the strongest WTA indoor clay tournaments of the season begins. Rybakina, Swiatek, Gauff, and Paolini all in the same draw. Ostapenko defends the title.
• ATP 500 Munich - Another clay tournament starting today, with a less star-studded draw but still interesting for players looking to accumulate points during this phase of the season.

Further reading

• Sinner beats Alcaraz and returns to number 1: final report
• Sinner: "Strange but beautiful final, I'm surprised at myself"
• Sinner, stats and curiosities: seventh different Masters 1000, only Rome and Madrid missing
• Alcaraz on Sinner defeat: "I didn't play well in the important moments"
• WTA Stuttgart: stellar entry list with Paolini and the top four in the world

Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

That’s all for Monte Carlo, see you with Tie Breakfast in Madrid!