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World No. 10 Jannik Sinner admitted Jaume Munar was a very tough opener in Umag but he was glad that he was able to close out the match in straight sets. Sinner, the second seeded player in the Umag main draw, kicked off his campaign at the Croatian clay tournament with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Munar.
Sinner, 20, was playing his first tournament since suffering a devastating Wimbledon quarterfinal loss to Novak Djokovic. "It was very tough at the end, but I'm happy that I am into the next round," Sinner said after the match, per the ATP website.
"It's never easy when you come back after some time that you don't play a match. I knew it would be tough. In the beginning I was tight, also in the end a little bit. But it's part of the progress and hopefully in the next round I can play better."
Sinner closed out Munar in two sets
Sinner broke Munar in the very first game of the match but then got broken back in the following game.
After blowing the break he earned in the first game, Sinner had a chance to break Munar again in the third game, but missed out on two break points. Sinner maybe blew an early break and missed out on two break points in the third game, but kept his focus as he broke Munar again in the ninth game for a 5-4 lead.
In the 10th game, Sinner routinely served out for the first set as he realized his first set point. After winning the first set, Sinner broke Munar in the third game to take a 2-1 lead in the second set. Munar broke back Sinner in the fourth game, but Sinner broke again in the fifth game to open a 3-2 lead.
In the 10th game - when Sinner was serving to stay in the match - Munar saved five match points, but couldn't save the sixth as the Italian won in straight sets to set up a quarterfinal clash Roberto Carballes Baena.