Jannik Sinner (24) experienced a difficult situation at the US Open in the third round. Denis Shapovalov (26) took his first set and it seemed that the Italian favorite would have to solve even more problems. But the world number one was able to react in time, turned the development of the match and after the result 5: 7, 6: 4, 6: 3 and 6: 3 advanced to the eight -final round. After the match, Sinner appreciated the qualities of the opponent and admitted that he himself had to rely on militancy rather than game dominance.
“It’s normal to have a match that is not easy. You cannot always win after a clear result, each duel is different and otherwise complex. Every day is a challenge, especially against players with potential like Denis“Sinner said.
“When he serves well, he is fantastic, he has clean strokes from the baseline, he is physically strong – he has everything he can surprise you. I knew it before the game. Today the score was sometimes against me, but I tried to stay strong mentally.
Sinner refuses to think about defending the title and focuses on each match separately. “I don’t think about defense, I’m going day after day, because every day you have a tough opponent. Everything I have in my head is to play the best tennis.”
“This is a long way, I don’t want to look too forward. You train for these moments, for difficult situations to find a solution. I think it was a great match on both sides and I’m happy that I left everything on the court”He added.
Another rival of the world number one will be Alexander Bublik, who after a five -hundred -year battle coped with home Tommy Paul. “Bublik has been playing a high level for a long time, so it will be hard to beat him. We’ll see who wins. Last time he beat me in Halle on the grass, serves great and is very unpredictable. It will be interesting.”
Finally, Sinner admitted that he also had his limits. “You have to serve well, create pressure … But I’m not a machine, I have to fight sometimes. Today I had to last a lot. I played good tennis, he too, and that’s why the match was open. Every time I go to the court, I need to know that I am as ready – that is what the confidence stems.”
“The key is to stay strong mentally. But Denis is a great player, he has proven many times. This year he has won two titles, is in shape and showed it today.
Results of male singles at the US Open
