MONTE CARLO, April 11 — Andrey Rublev’s Monte Carlo Masters title defence ended at the first hurdle yesterday with a straight-sets defeat by Australian Alexei Popyrin, while Jannik Sinner eased through.

The Russian never got going in the second-round tie as Popyrin eased to a 6-4, 6-4 win at the traditional clay court warm-up for the French Open.