Sinner beats Alcaraz in Monte Carlo final to reclaim top spot in rankings

MONTE CARLO, April 12 : Italy's Jannik Sinner dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 7-6(5) 6-3 in Sunday's Monte Carlo final to claim his first Masters title on clay and snatch back the world number one ranking from the Spaniard.

The victory capped a remarkable run for Sinner, who became just the second player to win the 'Sunshine Double nL1N40H08Q' and Monte Carlo in the same season - a feat previously achieved only by Novak Djokovic in 2015.

It marked Sinner's fourth consecutive Masters 1000 crown following triumphs in Paris, Indian Wells and Miami, and his eighth Masters title overall.

"We came here just trying to get as many matches as possible before other big tournaments coming up. Today was a very high level from both of us," Sinner said in an on-court interview.

"It was a bit windy, breezy - completely different conditions the tournament has brought until today.

"The result (is) amazing, getting back to number one means a lot to me. At the same time, as I always say, the ranking is secondary. I'm very happy to win at least one big trophy on this surface."

The last time the pair met was nearly five months ago when Sinner beat Alcaraz in the ATP Finals title clash and fans had been eagerly looking forward to the next chapter of the 'Sincaraz' rivalry.

STRUGGLE IN BLUSTERY CONDITIONS

Playing in blustery conditions, both players struggled initially as they traded early breaks until Alcaraz found his groove first, unleashing winners past Sinner when he caught the Italian wrong-footed on the baseline on a few occasions.

Alcaraz also used the disguised drop shot to good effect to catch Sinner off guard but breaking serve proved elusive for both as they battled the wind.

Sinner was forced to work hard while trailing 6-5 but