Jannik Sinner, the top seeds and title defender, ended the French qualifying match Atmane’s Dream Run on the Cincinnati Open with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory to reach the final of the US Open Warm-up event.
Sinner, who played on his 24th birthday, won a remarkable 91% of his next points, did not stand for a single breaking point during the 86-minute match and converted two of the five breaking points in his first career meeting with Atmane, the World No 136.
“Very, very tough challenge,” Sinner said on the field after he was a serenade with a happy birthday through the crowd. “Every time you play completely new to someone, it is very difficult.
“I knew that I had to be very, very careful and my way of thinking was in a good place today. I feel that I have treated situations very well on the field.”
The Italian world No. 1 had its hands full in a tightly disputed first set with an Empious Serving view of both men and no breakpoint opportunity for both players.
Sinner, who only lost three points on serve in the opening set, stuck to love for a third consecutive game to force the tie-break, where Atmane handed his opponent the first point with a double mistake and from there the Italian never looked back.
The reigning US Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon Champion opened the second set with a nine-minute attitude of Serve, then held on to love before he finally broke Atmane for a 3-1 lead that gave him the pillow he needed.
Sinner followed that with another hold to like to go up 4-1 and to put everything on every hope for Atmane, who defeated the top 10 players Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune on their way to his Maiden ATP Masters 1000 semi-final.
With Atmane on 2-5 and looking to stay in the match, Sinner soon jumped 0-40 ahead before sealing the victory at his third competition point when the Frenchman sent a forehand in the net. Sinner will be confronted with the no. 2 Seed, Carlos Alcaraz or Alexander Zverev in the final of Monday.
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