Sinner is in the quarterfinals of Cincinnati, but what a battle with Mannarino

A Jannik Sinner not yet at his levels beats Adrian Mannarino and the number 1 in the world is in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati ATP. For the blue it is the twenty -fourth consecutive victory over the cement, sixteenth fourth in a 1000, to continue an almost total domain on this surface, where it does not lose from the Beijing final in October 2024 against Alcaraz. Final score 6-4 7-6 (5) In an hour and 48 minutes, at the end of an infinite match, suspended for 2 hours and 50 for the rain, a lot of nerves, for a sinner not yet with the high gears against Mannarino, 37 years old, number 89 of the world, excellent and whimsical player who has done everything to make life difficult for the number one in the world, and in the second it was also successful. The Frenchman did everything to let the opponent play badly (29 free errors for Jannik), he succeeded but still lost. Too much the difference in the heaviness of the ball between the two, and the tricks of the transalpine left -handed have served up to a certain point. Of course, Mannarino is one who knows how not to put the opponent in rhythm, and this is what annoyed, very annoyed, to Jannik, especially at the service: at n.1 he gave the service terribly annoyed, and has had difficulties in the response, a blow that has so far missed.

The match

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In the first set Sinner simply managed the meeting, never really pressing the foot on the accelerator. The n.1 maintained a cruise speed, forcing when it was necessary, but managing the energies for the continuation of the tournament, where the hardest opponents will probably arrive and where this will also count. Not a new thing for Sinner, so master of his means that he also succeeded in this. It starts immediately with a break ball for the Italian, canceled by the Frenchman, who for the whole meeting was kept afloat only with the service, a bed not very well by Sinner, “annoyed” by the deadly external trajectories and mannarins imposed by Mannarino. Not bad, however, given that the break that decides the set comes immediately after, in the third game, when Sinner gets three break balls forcing a lot on the straight opponent, a clear weak point of Mannarino. Even that of Italian does not shine particularly in certain passages of the meeting (52% at the end, 97% on the first), but certainly better than the game against Diallo.

the rain and the cards

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Under a break, Mannarino becomes aggressive to shorten the exchanges for manifest inability to hold the long ones, but makes too many mistakes, becoming easy prey for Sinner. “Relax,” says coach Erwann Tortuyaux in Mannarino, but there is very little to do. “You are always on the ball, don’t run away,” says Simone Vagnozzi to Jannik after a few uncertainty, but everything goes smoothly, without too many problems, for Italian. After a ball not exploited for the 5-2, Sinner while not using very high percentages takes advantage of the clumsy responses of Mannarino and closes the first set 6-4 in 43 minutes, putting ourselves in the middle of a highlights that we will see 100 times, a splendid reverse passerby on a smash at the end of Mannarino. Ready, away and in the second set after three game (2-1 Mannarino, 40-30 and Sinner service), there is the suspension of the rain, which at the beginning seems short but it is not at all. Intermittence stars, 2 hours and 50 minutes in the changing rooms and Jannik also has time to do A card match with its team. It starts again with an ACE of Sinner and until 5-5 nothing happens: no break ball and predominant services, many games closed to zero.

NERVOUSNESS

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In the eleventh Game Sinner weighs a few steps on the service response line and immediately gets break balls, Mannarino cancels three but the fourth is the good one, and Jannik rises 6-5 and service to close the match. But tennis, you know, is really strange. He had not offered a break ball again, Sinner, and he had not even lost a point on the first service, but both in the twelfth game both happen, Mannarino takes advantage of it and go to the tie break. Here the blue plays from n.1 of the world, and has no too much difficulty in closing the meeting, with the exclamation point of two ace (twelve in all). At the quarterfinals Sinner will face Thursday 14 one between Felix Auger Aliassime and Benjiam Bonzi.

words

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“A very difficult game, a very difficult opponent, different from all the others, not only because it is left -handed but because it affects the ball in an incredible way and remains very low – said Jannik at the end of the game – we served both very well, his shots to go out have been micidile, I had difficulty closing. I changed position in response to annoy him, and I am happy to have succeeded and be in the quarter.”