By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, August 14, 2024

 

Jannik Sinner fended off American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-5 and Holger Rune beat Matteo Berrettini 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 on a busy day of play in Cincinnati.

Photo credit: Matthew Calvis

A former junior ski champion, Jannik Sinner seldom stumbles at the first gate.

World No. 1 Sinner was tested, but sustained his balance—and first-round streak of success—in Cincinnati.

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The top-seeded Sinner saved all eight break points he faced fending off American qualifier Alex Michelsen 6-4, 7-5 in his Cincinnati Open opener today.

Sinner is now 29-1 in first-rounders since the start of the 2023 season.

"It was a tough match,” Sinner said in his on-court interview afterward. “He played already some matches but for me it was the first match here, so I tried to feel the conditions a bit more.

"I'm very happy to be in the next round. For me this is a place where I used to struggle a lot in the past years, so let's see what I can do this time. I'm trying to stay in a positive mindset, positive moment, and I think that today also brought me the win."

Indeed, though Sinner doubled the 19-year-old Michelsen’s winner total—28 to 14—he felt the pressure from the lanky American. Michelsen held three break points in Sinner’s opening service game of the second set, but the Italian stood tall saving all three break points to hold.

Sinner broke for a 6-5 lead and won six of the last seven points to seal a one hour, 51-minute victory.

The Australian Open champion raised his 2024 record to 45-5, including a 25-2 hard-court record.

Sinner, who celebrates his 23rd birthday on Friday, will play either Jordan Thompson or Sebastian Baez next.

Earlier, Holger Rune repelled Matteo Berrettini 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 in a tightest of former Top 10 players.

The 15th-seeded Rune seized four of his eight break-point chances beating Berrettini for the second time in three meetings.



It’s the first Cincinnati win for Rune, who improved to 14-2 in first-rounders this season. Rune will play 39th-ranked Nuno Borges in round two. Qualifier Borges beat Adrian Mannarino 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Former French open finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas rallied from a set down to dispatch Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 6-4, 6-3. It was Tsitsipas’ fifth win in nine meetings with Struff, coming five years after the German posted a 6-4 6-7(5), 7-6(6) Cincinnati win.

Today, Tsitsipas threw down eight of his 18 aces in the final set. Struff hit nine aces against 10 double faults and fought off 11 of 14 break points.



The 2022 Cincinnati finalist Tsitsipas improved to 36-15 on the season and will play either Jack Draper or Jaume Munar next.