Zverev, defending champion Tsitsipas reach quarter-finals of Monte Carlo Masters

Third-ranked Alexander Zverev beat Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2, 7-5 at the Monte Carlo Masters on Thursday to reach the quarter-finals of the clay-court season opener in Monaco.

Carreno Busta broke Zverev to open the second set and built a 3-1 lead before the German rallied, setting up a quarter-final match against Jannik Sinner, who beat eighth-ranked Andrey Rublev 5-7, 6-1, 6-3.

"I have lost focus a little bit in the second set," Zverev said.

Defending champion Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced by beating Laslo Djere 7-5, 7-6 (1). The fifth-ranked Greek will meet Diego Schwartzman of Argentina in the quarter-finals.

"I really had to work hard for this win," Tsitsipas said.

Indian Wells winner Taylor Fritz reached the quarter-finals by defeating doubles partner Sebastian Korda 7-6 (4), 7-5.

Fritz will meet Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who stunned top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Tuesday. The Spaniard beat David Goffin 6-4, 6-1 to advance on Thursday.

Grigor Dimitrov also advanced by upsetting seventh-ranked Casper Ruud 6-3, 7-5.