By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, May 19, 2021
Jannik Sinner edged Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev, 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 to advance in Lyon.
Photo credit: Open Parc Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Facebook
Jannik Sinner calls tennis "a sport of situations."
Shut out in the opening set today, Sinner found himself in a precarious position.
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The 19-year-old Italian applied power and precision to put himself in a better place.
Sinner fought off Aslan Karatsev 0-6, 6-3, 6-4 to win a topsy-turvy Lyon opener that was interrupted more than an hour due to rain.
Sinner avenged a three-set loss to Australian Open semifinalist Karatsev in the Dubai quarterfinals though it wasn't easy.
The 25th-ranked Karatsev came out bombing the ball force-feeding Sinner his first bagel of the year.
Hitting through the heavy court conditions, Karatsev banged a backhand return down the line to break in the opening game. That was one of the three straight breaks the 27-year-old Russian scored in rolling to a one-set lead after 34 minutes. Sinner did not win a second-serve point in the first set.
Calm competitiveness is a Sinner asset. The Miami Open finalist took a bathroom break, returned to the red clay refreshed and raced out to a 4-0 second-set lead. Though he failed to convert a game point that would have stretched it to 5-0, Sinner kept control.
Serving to force a decider, he saved a couple of break points before sealing the set with a drop shot.
Rain interrupted play with Karatsev up 2-1 in the third set.
Play resumed about an hour later with sunnier skies and quicker court conditions, which suited Sinner.
The sixth-seeded Sinner guessed right on a Karatsev approach and lashed a backhand crosscourt for break point in the seventh game of the final set. Karatsev saved it and slid an ace out wide navigating a hard-fought hold for 4-3.
The Italian teenager earned triple break point in the ninth game. Karatsev saved the first break point. On the second, a lunging Sinner blocked back a crackling serve and Karatsev sailed a forehand as Sinner broke for 5-4. Sinner closed in two hours, 33 minutes despite the fact Karatsev won more total points—94 to 89.
World No. 17 Sinner will face French lucky loser Arthur Rinderknech in the round of 16.
It was a good day for Italian teenagers.
Nineteen-year-old Lorenzo Musetti backed up his opening-round win over Felix Auger-Aliassime taking down 20-year-old American Sebastian Korda 6-3, 1-6, 6-4 in an entertaining clash between two talented young players.
World No. 88 Musetti, the youngest man in the Top 100, broke Korda, the fourth youngest man in the Top 100, in the final game to become the first play through to the Lyon quarterfinals.
The Acapulco semifinalist will play either fourth-seeded David Goffin or Aljaz Bedene for a semifinal spot.