ATP Rotterdam: Jannik Sinner downs Stefanos Tsitsipas for career-best win



by JOVICA ILIC

ATP Rotterdam: Jannik Sinner downs Stefanos Tsitsipas for career-best win

Jannik Sinner has won ten of the season's opening 12 matches. The Italian claimed the Montpellier title last week, looking for more at the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam. The young Italian advanced into the quarter-final following a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over world no.

3 Stefanos Tsitsipas. Sinner played at a high level to seal the deal in an hour and 21 minutes and notch his first triumph over the top-3 rivals. Jannik won 20 points more than Stefanos and delivered impressive numbers behind the initial shot.

Sinner dropped seven points in his games and never faced a break point. He grabbed three breaks from four opportunities to control the scoreboard and secure a place in the last eight. Tsitsipas prevailed over Sinner in five sets in the Australian Open fourth round.

However, he stood nowhere near that pace tonight, hitting under ten winners and spraying over 20 unforced errors. The Italian tamed his strokes nicely and fired 20 winners and 12 mistakes to emerge at the top in style.

Jannik Sinner defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets in Rotterdam.

Sinner destroyed Tsitsipas in the mid-range exchanges with five to eight strokes, drawing the opponent's errors and controlling the scoreboard.

Three of the encounter's opening four games went to deuces, and the returners failed to create chances. The servers found their targets from the fifth game and barely lost a point until 4-4. Jannik attacked on the return in game nine and created a break chance with a forehand drive-volley winner.

The Italian seized it with a well-constructed attack and a smash winner at the net for 5-4 and a massive boost. Sinner served for the set in game ten and landed a service winner for 6-4 in 44 minutes. With momentum on his side, the younger player grabbed a break at love at the start of the second set after Tsitsipas' double fault.

Jannik cemented the lead with another fine hold in game two and earned another break chance in the next one, seeking the sixth consecutive game. Stefanos denied it with a service winner and wrapped up the game with a forehand drive-volley winner to end his downfall.

Jannik won an incredible point at 15-0 in the fourth game with a behind-the-back backhand winner and closed the game with a forehand down the line for 3-1. Both players served well in the next four games, barely losing a point and giving the returners no chances.

Sinner gained a 5-3 lead with a hold at love in game eight and created three match points on the return a few minutes later after Tsitsipas' loose backhand. The Italian sealed the deal with a backhand down the line winner, taking eight consecutive points and advancing into the next round in style.

Atp Rotterdam Jannik Sinner Stefanos Tsitsipas