Jannik takes home the first set despite playing badly but gives up the 2nd in the tie break. He recovers in the decisive partial and grabs the passage of the round. Tuesday faces Cerundolo
Jannik Sinner didn’t want one thing: to play in the evening. He punctually took to the field at 20.30 and also took a big risk. On the other side of the net one of the most dangerous players of the last period, that Alexander Shevchenko who since he was 9 years old, is now 22, is coached by Gunter Bresnik, the creator of Thiem. It wasn’t an easy task to overcome him and after the badly lost tie break of the second set the worst was also feared. It ended with the success of the South Tyrolean 6-3 6-7(4) 6-2, the passage to the round of 16 where Cerundolo awaits him, and best wishes to his mother on the camera. At the end of the match Jannik thought he was 5-1 and while people cheered him, he got ready to answer while his rival was waiting for him to say hello.
“Oh yes, I thought I was 5-1. He played very aggressive, very well the whole match. In the second set I made a few too many mistakes but I’m happy with how I reacted in the third, closing the match. People told me helped a lot and I’m really happy to play in front of my home crowd.”
First set that starts with Jannik displaced by the broadsides of the Russian coached by Gunter Bresnik. Violent accelerations and effective responses that corner the South Tyrolean forced to give up the opening serve. Sinner is good at reacting immediately and coming back from a disadvantage, but the 22-year-old who hits hard and has already beaten even Berrettini in Phoenix doesn’t give up an inch. He continues to beat and still puts Sinner in difficulty who, however, takes the lead 4-3 in the 7th game, consolidates for 5-3 and closes with another break 6-3. Second set that opens again with a break suffered by the pupil of Vagnozzi and Cahill, but this time it’s more difficult to get back. He lets himself be commanded by Potapova’s boyfriend and in addition he is very foul. The opportunity for the counterbreak comes in the 7th game, with Shevchenko smoothing a forehand at 30-30, a pity about the forehand error which brings the situation back to a draw. Another break point and another straight into the net, with the Russian leading 5-3. In the end on the edge of the precipice, with the number 93 in the world to serve for the set, Sinner hangs up the game not without help from his rival who even at 30-30 loses his racket on serve. Sinner twice goes within two points of the match but after a crazy exchange of 21 shots, with drop and counter drop, Shevchenko earns the tie break. Sinner is ahead by a minibreak, but with a wrong volley and a forehand it is he who ends up behind, from 2-0 ahead to 5-2 down. Shevchenko takes everything, Sinner continues to make unthinkable mistakes and the other has 4 set points. Jannik manages to cancel the first, but the Russian closes for 1-1. Third set with Sinner who goes ahead by a break 3-2 but as often happens struggles to maintain the advantage, ends up under 15-30 then finally, after an absurd exchange between buffers, counter-bumpers, lopsided volleys and unsuccessful lobs, Jannik extends 4-2. He doubles the break and goes to serve at 5-2, has a new blackout and ends up under 0-40, then recovers, finds his smile again and the round of 16.