mtenis.com.pl

Top seed to take on Raonic next at ATP 500
February 15, 2024

Jannik Sinner in action against Gael Monfils on Thursday at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam.
By ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner had to be at his focused best to hold off the challenge of two-time champion Gael Monfils on Thursday at the ABN AMRO Open.

The Italian snapped Monfils’ 11-match winning streak at the indoor ATP 500 with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 triumph, but only after an absorbing second-round clash in the final match of the day at Rotterdam Ahoy. Monfils outhit Sinner by 21 winners to 13 but top seed Sinner rode an early break in the deciding set to a one-hour, 53-minute victory.

“It was one shaky game of mine in the second set and things changed so fast,” said Sinner after the match. “I still believe that these kinds of matches, they help you a lot, especially on the mental part. When you don’t play your best tennis and you still try somehow to find the way to win.

“Against him, it is never easy, I have the feeling we know each other a little bit better now, and he changed some things, as I do, and today went my way.”


Sinner had looked set to comfortably extend his tour-level winning streak to 12 matches after taking the opening set, but Monfils converted his only break point of the match in the fourth game of the second and went on to force a decider with his typical blend of classy defence and big shotmaking.

Although he struggled to consistently produce his best level, Sinner reasserted his dominance on serve in the deciding set and put himself on the path to victory by breaking Monfils to love in the second game. The 22-year-old finished the match having won 76 per cent (37/49) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I think he is an incredible showman,” said Sinner of the 37-year-old Monfils. “All the crowd and the people, they love him. I think that’s what this sport needs. I wish that he will keep going as long as possible and hopefully I can share the court with him as many times as possible, because he is such an amazing player.”

The Official App Of Tennis | Download ATP WTA Live App

Sinner, playing his first ATP Tour event since winning his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open, will take on the former No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Milos Raonic, in the quarter-finals. It will be a first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the two.

“It doesn’t really matter how I feel on court, it’s going to be a very tough match tomorrow,” said Sinner. “I had the chance to practise a couple of times with him when I was younger, so it’s going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be a new challenge and I’m going to try to be as ready as I can. Hopefully it’s going to be a good match, even if there won’t be so much rhythm.”

Top seed meets home favourite Griekspoor on Saturday at ATP 500
February 16, 2024

Jannik Sinner is the first player born after 2000 to hit 200 tour-level wins.
By ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner’s unbeaten start to the 2024 season continued Friday at the ABN AMRO Open. The top seed at the indoor 500 advanced to the semi-finals after Milos Raonic was forced to retire from the pair’s quarter-final clash due to a right hip injury.

Sinner led 7-6(4), 1-1 when the former World No. 3 Raonic called a halt to proceedings at Rotterdam Ahoy, where the players were contesting their maiden Lexus ATP Head2Head clash. Earlier, the Australian Open champion Sinner had saved two set points at 4-5, 15/40 before clinching the opening set in a tie-break.


“He is for sure one of the toughest opponents to play against,” said Sinner of Raonic in his post-match interview. “This is a very unusual challenge you have on court. He serves incredibly well. I was up a break first set and I missed a couple of things. From the past two rounds I was struggling a little bit to find myself on the court. Also today, I felt like he was playing better than me the first set.

“I just tried to stay somehow mentally, but at the end of the day this is not how you want to win this match. He had so many injuries throughout his career and hopefully he will have a speedy recovery.”


Now 10-0 for the season after the 200th tour-level win of his career, the 22-year-old Sinner will next take on home hope Tallon Griekspoor on Saturday night. It will be a repeat of the duo's 2023 semi-final clash, in which Sinner prevailed in straight sets before falling short in the championship match against Daniil Medvedev.

“It was really tough," recalled Sinner when asked about his win against Griekspoor from a year ago. "I remember the last set was a tie-break, so these are the kinds of matches where you also have to enjoy the atmosphere. I’m sure it’s going to be full, so that’s also one of the reasons why I love to play here. The fans are incredible. Tomorrow is a new day, anything can happen, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Should Sinner move past Griekspoor again for his 13th consecutive win and this time go on to lift the trophy in Rotterdam, the Australian Open champion will on Monday rise above Medvedev to a career-high No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings. To do that, he may well feel he needs to raise his level at a venue where he now holds an 8-2 record.

You May Also Like: How Sinner can pass Medvedev, Alcaraz for World No. 2
“I think the situation here is, the courts are quite heavy, but it changes a lot with new balls and used balls," said Sinner on his quest to find his best game this week in the Netherlands. "So you have to change also, but this is the fun of the sport. Every week or every tournament you play in a different situation and I’m happy to be in the semi-final trying to play some good tennis tomorrow.”

Sinner is the seventh Italian male to notch 200 tour-level wins in the Open Era, and the first man born after 2000 to hit that milestone. The World No. 4, an 11-time tour-level titlist, holds an overall record of 200-74.