The No. 1 player in the PIF ATP Rankings burst out of the blocks against Tomas Martin Etcheverry<\/a> and, despite entering a three-set scrap, Alcaraz carved out a hard-fought 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 victory. After spraying 23 unforced errors in the second set and briefly appearing short of answers, the 22-year-old Spaniard sharpened his focus at just the right moment to keep his title defence alive.<\/p>\n STILL reigning supreme \ud83d\udc51@carlosalcaraz<\/a>‘s title defence launches into the Elite 8 @ROLEXMCMASTERS<\/a> | #RolexMonteCarloMasters<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/yjr5vtVDZk<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ATP Tour (@atptour) April 9, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n \u201cI was playing really well in the first set. I was feeling the ball 10\/10,\u201d Alcaraz said. \u201cThen I started pretty well in the second set as well and had a chance to break his serve in the second game, but I didn\u2019t take it. When you don\u2019t take the opportunities at this level, you have to run back. He played more aggressive after that, but I would say it was a great fight in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n Although Etcheverry, the reigning Rio ATP 500 champion, deserves credit for his second-set surge \u2014 during which he reeled off four straight games from 0-1 down \u2014 Alcaraz\u2019s shot selection wavered noticeably. At times overly aggressive, the Spaniard stayed committed to his approach despite an error-strewn dip, eventually rediscovering his full range in the decider to set a quarter-final meeting with eighth seed Alexander Bublik<\/a>.<\/p>\n Alcaraz\u2019s fierce rival, Jannik Sinner<\/a>, remains in contention to reclaim the World No. 1 spot<\/a> Monday with a title run in Monte-Carlo, among other scenarios. The Italian overcame a three-set test against Tomas Machac<\/a> on Court Rainier III earlier on Thursday, before Alcaraz followed with a similarly hard-earned win in his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Etcheverry.<\/p>\n The final two sets stood in stark contrast to the opener, which Alcaraz swept through after claiming the first eight points of the match. Yet with fired-up coach Samuel Lopez<\/a> offering pointed guidance from the sidelines, the Spaniard regrouped and rediscovered his rhythm, striking 13 winners in the decider to stretch his clay-court winning streak to 15 matches.<\/p>\n The Spaniard also lifted clay titles last year in Rome and at Roland Garros<\/a>, where he saved three championship points against Sinner in a gripping five-set final.<\/p>\n Alcaraz\u2019s quarter-final opponent in Monte-Carlo, Bublik, produced a statement performance to also advance on Thursday. The Kazakhstani channelled his inner Roger Federer<\/a> in a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Jiri Lehecka<\/a> in 75 minutes.<\/p>\n Bublik lit up the first set with a stunning one-handed backhand winner before edging a tight second to reach his maiden Monte-Carlo quarter-final. The 28-year-old is now 18-5 on clay since the start of last year, according to the Infosys ATP Win\/Loss Index, a run highlighted by titles in Gstaad and Kitzbuehel following his quarter-final showing at Roland Garros<\/a> in 2025.<\/p>\n![\"\u201cATP](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/atp-fantasy-article-banner.jpg\")
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