SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER!
 
 
Facebook Social Button Twitter Social Button Follow Us on InstagramYouTube Social Button
NewsScoresRankingsLucky Letcord PodcastShopPro GearPickleballGear Sale


By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Wednesday September 16, 2020


Eight Italians are into the second round at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia and Rome, which is an Open Era record. But 19-year-old Jannik Sinner was the one turning heads more than any other of his compatriots on Wednesday at the Foro Italico.

Tennis Express

Sinner avenged a loss at Rome to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the second round last year by earning a 6-1, 6-7(9), 6-2 victory over the World No.6 on Court Nicola Pietrangeli.

Sinner, ranked 81, says he has improved a lot since he met Tsitsipas in Rome last year.

“Especially when you’re young, in one year, you can do a lot of things,” said Sinner. “Especially the serve today, I served a bit better, changing the rotation.”

Sinner won 69 percent of his second serve points (18/26) and broke Tsitsipas' serve seven times on fourteen opportunities to claim the win in two hours and 13 minutes. He dropped just two points on serve in the third set and broke Tsitsipas twice in set three.

The Italian earned his second Top 10 win, and the best by ranking of his career, rebounding from a difficult loss of the middle set to waltz to the finish.

“Playing against him is never easy,” he said. “Last year was my first test, for me it was the first time I’ve played against a Top 10 player. Today I knew that I had the level to compete better against him. Obviously it was a great match and I’m very happy.”

Up next for Sinner will be Grigor Dimitrov, who raced past Yoshihito Nishioka 6-1 6-0 on Wednesday. Dimitrov has won all four sets he has played at Rome this week.

 

Latest News