Sinner beats Nishioka in Barcelona. The derby with Musetti-Corriere.it is in the quarterfinals

Out of breath and with a beginning of cramps, Jannik Sinner advances to the quarterfinals of the ATP 500 in Barcelona, ​​beating 6-1 4-6 6-3 in two hours and 8′ the Japanese Yoshihito Nishioka, number 35 in the world. The blue, for the seventh time in eight tournaments held in 2023, reaches the third last round and, now, only one week after the success in Montecarlo
he finds Lorenzo Musetti again, always in the quarterfinals. This is because the 21-year-old from Carrara, who had lost the first set against the British Cameron Norriehe made a great comeback closing 3-6 6-4 6-1 in two hours and 4′.

The dominance in the first set, then the decline

In the morning Jannik, after dominating the first set, ending 6-1 conceding only one point on his rounds of service, probably felt tired due to the many close commitments: from Sunshine Double American (one semifinal and one final), at the two marathons in the Principality against Hurkacz and Rune. And, although very strong and returning from a great physical work in the last few months which has led him to strengthen himself on a muscular level, even the human Sinner. In the second set, therefore, everything changed. Jannik physically dropped, starting to make mistakes and also paying for a performance of the Japanese that gradually grew with the passing of the points. Of five rounds of serve, Sinner held only one, in a seven-break set in ten games.

The blue risked going down 3-0 but in the end he found himself 2-1, conceding for another break after being ahead 40-0. At 4-3 and service (break arrived with an error in Nishioka’s forehand volley), the match seemed safe, but the Japanese kept afloat by closing the 4-4 game with a backhand slap. In the next inning game, at 4-5, double foul by Jannik to go 0-30, then two set points: the first canceled, Sinner paid for the second, with a backhand deflected off the tape in the corridor. In the third set, with stiff muscles and tongue out, Jannik however managed to get on top of the match. He took serve in the fifth game but lost it to zero in the sixth, recovering for the lead immediately after and converting the third match point, after the first two had run away with a winning serve by the Japanese southpaw and with a backhand at the net of the South Tyrolean.

Nadal won’t even be in Madrid

The match was played on the Pista Rafa Nadal in Barcelona, ​​named after the Spanish champion. And, speaking of Rafa, Nadal’s forfeit for the next Masters 1000, the one in Madrid, has officially arrived. It’s been difficult weeks and months – Nadal confessed in a video on his social profiles – about him. As you know, in Australia I suffered a serious injury to the iliopsoas (muscle of the lumbar vertebrae). The recovery period was supposed to be six to eight weeks and we are now in week 14. The reality is that the situation is not what we would have expected. All the medical indications have been followed, but somehow the evolution has not been as we had been envisaged in the beginning and we find ourselves in a difficult situation. The weeks go by and I had the illusion of being able to play the most important tournaments of my career such as Montecarlo, Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros and for the moment I have skipped Montecarlo and Barcelona. Unfortunately he won’t be able to play in Madrid. The injury hasn’t healed yet and I can’t work as hard as I should to compete. I was training, but a few days ago we decided to change course a bit, do another treatment and see if things improve to try to get to what’s to come. I can’t give a timetable because if I knew I would tell you, but I don’t know. I just have to try to have the right attitude all this time, try to give myself the opportunity to compete in some of the tournaments that remain of the clay season and I have no choice but to work and have the right mindset.

Among the Italians, it also celebrates Flavio Cobolli, who reached his first quarter-final at ATP level in Munich, beating the German Oscar Otte 6-0 3-6 6-3. The Roman will now face Zverev or O’Connell, in an upper part of the draw that also includes Lorenzo Sonego, on the field against the Chilean Garin.