ATP 500 Rotterdam: Jannik Sinner on velvet against Botic Van De Zandschulp

ATP 500 Rotterdam: Jannik Sinner on velvet against Botic Van De Zandschulp

È It only took Jannik Sinner, world No. 4 and the No. 1 seed on the scoreboard, a scant one-and-a-half hours to beat Botic Van De Zansschulp of the Netherlands, ranked No. 66, with a double 6-3 in the first round of the ATP 500 on the indoor concrete in Rotterdam, his first tournament as a Slam winner.

First set on velvet for Jannik who won the first break in the fifth game at the fourth chance in the match after being 15-40. on his opponent’s serve and having a’further break ball in the third game, then in the ninth game he again broke his opponent’s serve by annulling a game ball.

In the second set, Sinner saved himself from 0-40 by racking up five points in a row in the first game, but in the next game, nullifying three game balls to the home favorite, two of which were consecutive, he made the decisive break of the match.

From then on Jannik concedes only four points in four service turns and has two match points already in the eighth game but the third, with the serve available in the next game, è the good one.

Now Sinner will face long-time French veteran Gael Monfils, world No. 70, who beat in two sets both finished in tie-break former Canadian hopeful Denis Shapovalov, who dropped to No. 127 in the rankings.