By Alberto Amalfi | Friday, September 30, 2022
Defending champion Jannik Sinner stormed through seven straight games sparking a 6-2, 6-3 sweep of Aleksandar Vukic for his 11th consecutive win in Sofia.
Photo credit: Getty
Talented Italian shotmakers surged into the Sofia semifinals.
Continuing his quest for a third consecutive Sofia Open title, Italian Jannik Sinner stormed through seven straight games sparking a 6-2, 6-3 sweep of Aleksandar Vukic.
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The top-seeded Sinner saved four break points in the opening game, which spanned 10 minues. Hitting harder as the match progressed, Sinner caught fire transforming a 2-2 tie into a 6-2, 3-0 lead after blazing through seven games in a row.
The 21-year-old Sinner converted four of five break points raising his 2022 record to 45-13.
"Thank you all for coming to watch the match," Sinner told fans in his on-court interview afterward. "For me, it's a special place, a special tournament. In the next round I will play against a tough opponent, so I hope to improve my level."
Two-time defending champion Sinner improved to 11-0 in Sofia setting up a Saturday semifinal against either fifth-seeded Holger Rune or Ilya Ivashka.
Earlier, Italian Lorenzo Musetti charged through five games in a row to start the second set, including three straight love games, to post a 7-6(3), 6-1 win over German qualifier Jan-Lennard Struff.
The fourth-seeded Musetti zapped nine aces and won 31 of 36 first-serve points in a 75-minute triumph.
Hamburg champion Musetti improves to 24-21 on the season and rises to a career-high ranking of No. 26 in the live rankings.
Musetti will meet Marc-Andrea Huesler for a spot in Sunday's final.
The 95th-ranked Swiss slammed 26 aces in a 6-7(4), 7-6(6), 6-3 victory over Polish No. 2 Kamil Majchrzak in today's opening quarterfinal match.