Jannik Sinner battled through an injury concern to secure his place in the quarter-finals of the Rolex Paris Masters. On Thursday evening, he defeated Francisco Cerundolo with a score of 7-5, 6-1, showcasing resilience despite discomfort in his right leg.
Sinner’s Performance Against Cerundolo
During the match, Sinner showed signs of trouble, particularly while moving between points. He stretched his right leg intermittently but did not require a medical timeout. Sinner managed to minimize his mistakes, committing only two unforced errors while delivering 12 winners in the first set.
The key moment came when Sinner broke Cerundolo’s serve at the start of the second set, which lasted a grueling ten minutes. The match concluded in 86 minutes.
Post-Match Reflections
After his win, Sinner remarked, “I was up twice with the break in the first set and could not convert. I put myself in a challenging situation, but I’m happy with how I finished.” He expressed optimism about his recovery ahead of his next match and emphasized the importance of regaining physical strength.
Upcoming Challenges
Sinner’s victory improved his head-to-head record against Cerundolo to 4-2. He is now on a remarkable 23-match winning streak in indoor tournaments. If Sinner clinches the Paris Masters title, he will reclaim the world No. 1 ranking, following Carlos Alcaraz’s earlier exit from the tournament.
Next Opponent and Tournament Highlights
- Sinner’s next challenge will be against American Ben Shelton, who defeated Andrey Rublev 7-6(6), 6-3.
- Historically, Shelton has struggled against Sinner, losing their last six encounters without winning a set.
- In another quarter-final match, Daniil Medvedev triumphed over Lorenzo Sonego with a comeback win of 3-6, 7-6(5), 6-4.
- Medvedev’s next match is against Alexander Zverev, who defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2, 6-4.
The remaining quarter-finals feature Alexander Bublik facing Alex de Minaur and Valentin Vacherot against Felix Auger-Aliassime, all scheduled for Friday.
