Jannik Sinner plays impressive tennis even with a handicap. © ANSA / Juanjo Martin
Jannik Sinner fought back with incredible strength to reach the quarter-finals of the ATP Masters in Madrid on Tuesday. Until just before the start of the game, it was still unclear whether South Tyrol's sporting superstar would be able to compete.
30. April 2024
From: fop
Janic Sinner picked up his 28th win in his 30th game of the year in the Spanish capital. But this season, he has been challenged like never before. She defeated Karen Kachanov (ATP 17) 5:7, 6:3, 6:3 in 2 hours and 12 minutes.
Bhavam was challenged by his great enemy on the one hand and hip injury on the other. He experienced this against Pavel Kotow on Monday. That's why Sinner, who was ranked number one, repeatedly grabbed the damaged part during the warm-up, but then decided to fight – with success, it turned out later.
Sinner first got off to a poor start, having to fend off three break points in the third game and then having trouble keeping up with Cachanov. With the score at 5:5, the error-prone South Tyrolean gave up serve to his opponent to win the set.
Karen Kachanov showed her best tennis. © APA/afp / PIERRE-PHILIPPE MARCOU
But then the catch showed what he had done. He ruthlessly punished any indolence of the Russian and immediately took the first three games. Although Kachanov was soon back on track, Sinner's engine was now running at full speed. As a result, the second round went to him 6:3.
“I'm not 100 percent.”
Jannik Pavi
Tensions were high in the deciding set – and Kachanov now unleashed his powerful shots from the opening stages, putting Sinner under pressure with his best tennis. However, the greater the speed of action, the better the sinner became. He plays his balls on target length and his cross shots at incredible angles. So he took serve from Kachanov when the score was 2:2, and a little later he made it 4:2 with his own serve. The Sesto player couldn't miss it, on the contrary: when the opponent served, he put a precise longline ball into the court to make it 6:3, thus taking the first match point.
Now Auger-Aliasim is waiting
It was Sinner's fourth win in five fights against Kachanov, who only won their first meeting four years ago. In the winner's interview, Sinner revealed: “I wasn't 100 percent, but my health was fine. So we decided to play at short notice, but his opponent was injured. “Karen played well. Now I'm glad I have a day off.”
However, the next hurdle awaits on Thursday. Sinner faces one player: Felix Auger-Aliassime (ATP 35). The Canadian has won two previous duels, including the match in Madrid two years ago. In the round of 16, he impressively asserted himself in straight sets against world number six Kasper Rudd.
