ATP

Sinner ousts Bautista Agut in Dubai, red-hot Rublev through

By Sports Desk March 17, 2021

Jannik Sinner fought hard to earn an impressive victory that knocked fourth seed Roberto Bautista Agut out of the Dubai Tennis Championships. 

The 19-year-old rising star, who won the Great Ocean Road Open last month, prevailed in a match that remained in the balance until the end on Wednesday. 

Sinner won 6-4 3-6 7-5 to reach the quarter-finals, with Bautista Agut following top seed Dominic Thiem - who lost in the second round - out of the tournament. 

After hitting 16 aces, Sinner – the youngest player in the ATP Tour top 100 – will face surprise Australian Open semi-finalist Aslan Karatsev next. 

Second seed Andrey Rublev is through after a comfortable 6-3 6-1 win over Taylor Fritz. 

Rublev will face Marton Fucsovics, who ousted Serbian Dusan Lajovic in three sets, in the last eight. 

The Russian now has 22 consecutive wins at ATP 500 events, a run that has included four titles at that level. Only Roger Federer has ever recorded a longer streak, doing so with a run of 28 between 2014 and 2016.

"I am really happy that I can win in straight sets and quite confidently," Rublev said. 

"I know Taylor since [the] juniors and it is always tough to play against him, because he has a huge serve and he is playing really fast. 

"The first set was not even rallies because everything was serve, winner or serve, mistake, so everything was so fast. 

"In these conditions, it is tough to find the rhythm. You don't know what's going to happen and it's really not easy, but I'm happy that in the end I made it."

Third seed Denis Shapovalov is also through after a 6-4 6-3 win over Hubert Hurkacz, the Canadian booking a last-eight meeting with Jeremy Chardy. 

Kei Nishikori will play Lloyd Harris in the other quarter-final. 

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    Carlos Alcaraz surprised himself with the level of performance he was able to produce in his win over Andrey Rublev at the ATP Finals on Tuesday. 

    Alcaraz emerged a 6-3 7-6 (10-8) victor against the Russian in his second match of the tournament, keeping his hopes of advancing to the next round in Turin alive. 

    The Spaniard fell to defeat in his opening game against Casper Ruud, citing a stomach issue that left him feeling unwell before and during that match. 

    But the world number three looked back to his brilliant best against Rublev, claiming the first set in 37 minutes before edging a thrilling tie-break in the second.

    "Yes, I surprised myself a lot," Alcaraz said shortly after the victory. 

    "The way I played today from the baseline, I was really calm and tried to just focus on my game and what I had to do - forget that I'm not really feeling well.

    "Once you step on the court, you have to forget everything you're struggling with outside the court."

    Alcaraz, though, said he was still not feeling 100% ahead of facing Alexander Zverev, who is in action against Ruud later on Tuesday. 

    It will be the pair's first meeting since the Spaniard's triumph in the French Open final in June, but Zverev has not let that defeat ruin a fine season. 

    His own opening win over Rublev was his ATP Tour-leading 67th win of the campaign, with only Jannik Sinner matching the German for victories this year. 

    "I could be better, healthier. I'm just trying to step on the court and play good tennis, try not to think about my issues right now," Alcaraz said.

    "I've been struggling the last week and that's going to be the case over the next day too, for sure.

    "Zverev is playing great tennis. He is one of the toughest players in the world right now, that's for sure.

    "I will try to play good tennis and enjoy the same way I did today. Then let's see."

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    The Spaniard struck 31 winners compared to Rublev's 14, but did match his opponent for unforced errors during the contest (20 each). 

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    Jannik Sinner insisted he was prepared for the "aggressive" Taylor Fritz in their first meeting since the US Open final in September at the ATP Finals on Tuesday.

    Sinner improved his record over Fritz to 3-1 with a 6-4 6-4 victory in Turin, going level with Alexander Zverev with a Tour-leading 67th victory of the season. 

    The Italian now sits at the top of the Ilie Nastase Group after two games, and faces Daniil Medvedev on Thursday, with the Russian beating Alex de Minaur in straight sets. 

     

    "It was a very tough match. We got to know each other from a grand slam final," Sinner said. 

    "We knew exactly what to expect today. He was very aggressive, but I was prepared too. I just tried to serve well in the important moments.

    "In the return positions, his quality of tennis was very, very high, so I was struggling to return his serve, but I was happy with the situation. 

    "It was a very important day for me today, and I'm very happy that I got through."

    Sinner fought off tough resistance from Fritz in front of a home crowd in Turin, hitting 22 winners compared to his opponent's 19.

    Fritz had initially earned the first break point of the match, but was unable to make it count before fighting back from 0-40 to level the first set at 4-4.

    Sinner ultimately piled the pressure on to win the first set and capitalised on a double fault in the second to break Fritz and win. Fritz will now face de Minaur on Thursday.

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