Jannik Sinner continues to make serene progress through the Cincinnati Open draw.
The 23-year-old is aiming to back up his Wimbledon victory by successfully defending the title in Ohio.
The world number one has yet to drop a set and though he was challenged by Adrian Mannarino, the Frenchman could not find a way to make any lasting damage on the Italian.
Jannik Sinner once again showed why he thrives on hard courts as he wrapped up victory to earn a spot in yet another Masters 1000 quarter-final.
Adrian Mannarino says Jannik Sinner constantly ‘put him under pressure’ at the Cincinnati Open
Sinner faced Mannarino for the fourth time in his career, and he maintained his unbeaten record against the ATP veteran.
Their latest contest was disrupted by the rain at the start of the second set, which delayed the match by two hours and 45 minutes.
He struggled on serve, as he made just 52% of his first serves, but Sinner opened up a 4-2 lead before serving out the set 6-4.
The second set went to a tiebreak as Mannarino broke back when Sinner served for the match. But Sinner conceded just four points in the tiebreak and sealed victory.
Post-match, Mannarino told French media outlet L’Equipe what is so difficult about playing against Sinner. “He is in another dimension now, so clutch on every important point,” Mannarino said.
“He relentlessly puts you under pressure. Even when he somehow misses points he never gives you the impression you can be in control of the match.”
Jannik Sinner gave a positive assessment of Adrian Mannarino after beating him in Cincinnati
Sinner’s latest victory is his 24th in a row on hard courts, surpassing Novak Djokovic’s tally of 23 in 2015.
Furthermore, Sinner has now beaten Mannarino in each of the four times they have played, and has lost just one set.
Post-match, the Cincinnati Open top seed took some time to praise his opponent, who has been a tricky customer for many players on tour throughout his career.
“He is a very tough opponent. Very different from other opponents, not only because he is a lefty but how he hits the ball. It is very low,” Sinner said. “I just tried to serve well and tried to see what I could do in the return games.
“He was serving very well, especially on the Ad side, on the wide one was very precise. I changed the position, trying to make him feel uncomfortable. I struggled a bit to close it out, but this can happen in this sport and I am very happy to be in the next round.”
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