Sinner shakes off Monfils, reaches Rotterdam QFs

Jannik Sinner had to be at his focused best to hold off the challenge of two-time champion Gael Monfils on Thursday at the ABN AMRO Open.

The Italian snapped Monfils’ 11-match winning streak at the indoor ATP 500 with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 triumph, but only after an absorbing second-round clash in the final match of the day at Rotterdam Ahoy. Monfils outhit Sinner by 21 winners to 13 but top seed Sinner rode an early break in the deciding set to a one-hour, 53-minute victory.

“It was one shaky game of mine in the second set and things changed so fast,” said Sinner after the match. “I still believe that these kinds of matches, they help you a lot, especially on the mental part. When you don’t play your best tennis and you still try somehow to find the way to win.

“Against him, it is never easy, I have the feeling we know each other a little bit better now, and he changed some things, as I do, and today went my way.”

Another day, another win 🙌@janniksin marches on in Rotterdam as he gets the better of Monfils 6-3 3-6 6-3@abnamroopen | #abnamroopen | alyssavanheyst 📷 pic.twitter.com/RG0GwiKjCr

— ATP Tour (@atptour) February 15, 2024

Sinner had looked set to comfortably extend his tour-level winning streak to 12 matches after taking the opening set, but Monfils converted his only break point of the match in the fourth game of the second and went on to force a decider with his typical blend of classy defence and big shotmaking.

Although he struggled to consistently produce his best level, Sinner reasserted his dominance on serve in the deciding set and put himself on the path to victory by breaking Monfils to love in the second game. The 22-year-old finished the match having won 76 per cent (37/49) of points behind his first delivery, according to Infosys ATP Stats.

“I think he is an incredible showman,” said Sinner of the 37-year-old Monfils. “All the crowd and the people, they love him. I think that’s what this sport needs. I wish that he will keep going as long as possible and hopefully I can share the court with him as many times as possible, because he is such an amazing player.”

Sinner, playing his first ATP Tour event since winning his maiden Grand Slam at the Australian Open, will take on the former No. 3 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Milos Raonic, in the quarter-finals. It will be a first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting between the two.

“It doesn’t really matter how I feel on court, it’s going to be a very tough match tomorrow,” said Sinner. “I had the chance to practise a couple of times with him when I was younger, so it’s going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s going to be a new challenge and I’m going to try to be as ready as I can. Hopefully it’s going to be a good match, even if there won’t be so much rhythm.”