ATP roundup: Jannik Sinner survives in upset-laden Rotterdam

 

[February 16, 2024]  On a day when the third and fourth seeds were felled in three sets, No. 1 seed Jannik Sinner got past French wild card Gael Monfils 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals of the ABN AMRO Open Thursday in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

Monfils saved three of five break points and finished with a 21-13 edge in winners, including a 6-3 edge in aces. But Sinner was in control on both his first serve (winning 37 of 49 points, 75.5 percent) and his second serve (17 of 23, 73.9 percent).

Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan ousted No. 3 Holger Rune of Denmark 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, and Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands did the same to No. 4 Hubert Hurkacz of Poland 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4), a match that took two hours and 34 minutes.

In other Round of 16 action, sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria beat Hungary's Marton Fucsovics 6-3, 7-5, and Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3, 6-3.

IEB+ Argentina Open

Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz of Spain fought through the first match of his title defense in Buenos Aires, defeating Argentinian qualifier Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-2, 7-5.

Alcaraz received a first-round bye before taking the court Thursday to face Carabelli, who took a 2-0 lead in the second set. Alcaraz won the next five games, but Carabelli saved two match points en route to tying the match at 5 before the Spanish star pulled away.

Alcaraz's quarterfinal opponent will be Italian qualifier Andrea Vavassori, who upset No. 7 seed Laslo Djere of Serbia 6-4, 7-5. Vavassori went 4-for-4 on break-point opportunities.

The No. 2 seed also fell in three sets, as Argentina's Federico Coria beat favored Brit Cameron Norrie 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Coria had five aces and saved seven of nine break points. In the final match of the day, Argentinian fifth seed Sebastian Baez topped Italian Luciano Darderi 6-4, 7-5.

Delray Beach Open

No. 3 seed Tommy Paul rallied past fellow American Alex Michelsen 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (4) in a three-hour match in Delray Beach, Fla.

Paul smashed 15 aces and saved nine of 11 break points, while Michelsen saved six of eight. Paul's quarterfinal foe will be Australian Jordan Thompson, who beat U.S. qualifier Nicolas Moreno De Alboran 6-2, 6-2.

No. 2 seed Frances Tiafoe of the United States was pushed by Romanian qualifier Radu Albot before emerging with a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) victory. Tiafoe squandered a 3-0 lead in the first set, and Albot couldn't hold onto a 5-2 lead in the second set, squandering a set point while Tiafoe was serving at 5-6.

Italy's Flavio Cobolli posted a 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-2 victory over U.S. qualifier Zachary Svajda.

--Field Level Media

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