Rome, Jannik Sinner advances d'authority to third round

Jannik Sinner started his Internazionali d’Italia on the right foot: the South Tyrolean tennis player folded Austrian Sebastian Ofner in two sets with the scores of 6-3, 6-4, in an hour and a half match. Solid performance of the Azzurro, at his first match on the clay of the Capital: no break balls conceded by the outclassman from Sesto Pusteria, who in the third will face the winner of the match between Popyrin and Mensik. The match was interrupted twice in the second set due to the illness of two fans in the stands.

The world number one closed out the first set 6-3 in just over half an hour. Sinner handled his first partial on the Roman clay with solidity, getting the break on Ofner in the fourth game, after three break points nullified by the tough Austrian. The Azzurro was very continuous on serve, leaving few points to his opponent in response.

Under the watchful eyes of Papa Hanspeter and Mamma Siglinde, the San Candido champion immediately won the break in the first game of the second set, raising his level. At the serve, Sinner remained flawless, while Ofner struggled to hold serve.

The match was interrupted for a few minutes on the score of 4-3 due to a spectator’s illness: health officials intervened in the stands of the Central court and the fan walked out of the facility on his legs, to the applause of the audience. Shortly afterwards, at 5-4, another indisposition came and the match was again interrupted. Sinner after a few minutes resumed and closed out the match without discomfort: it is his 29th win in a row in a 1000, reached Roger Federer’s record. Ahead of him is now only Djokovic.