HALLE WESTFALEN: Jannik Sinner came out on top in an all-Italian clash against Lorenzo Sonego to reach the quarterfinals of the Halle grasscourt tournament on Thursday.
Sinner, ranked at nine in the world, saved all eight break points he faced to clinch a tough 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4 second-round triumph.
“It was a tough match for sure. He had a lot of chances,” said Sinner after reaching his ninth quarterfinal of the year.
“I made a couple of mistakes in the tie-break but that can happen. On grasscourts it’s never easy, and the way I reacted, especially mentally, I guess I did a good job. Obviously playing against him is never easy.”
Sinner will next face Alexander Bublik who reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 victory against Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff.
Bublik hit 43 winners, including 23 aces as he reached his second quarterfinal of the season.