New Delhi: In a bid to reclaim the number one ranking, Jannik Sinner started off the Paris Masters with a victory over Zizou Bergs in the second round. Sinner, who needs to win to knock Spanish sensation Carlos Alcaraz off the top spot, registered a dominant 6-4, 6-2 victory over his opponent.
After a 65-week reign at the number one spot, Sinner was dethroned in September when Alcaraz won the US Open final against him for his sixth major title. But the Spanish sensation lost in Paris on Tuesday in the second round against unseeded Cameron Norrie opening the door for Sinner in their rivalry. Sinner had Bergs under constant pressure, forging 11-break point chances and converting three whole not conceding a break point of his own.
The 24-year-old Sinner, who clinched victory on his first match point, will be up against unseeded Francisco Cerundolo in the third round. After the win, Sinner said that this win has given him a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches. He further said that this victory will motivate him to perform better and improve his shortcomings in the tournament which is of pivotal importance for the Italian player.
Sinner happy with his performance
‘I was very precise, and I also started off with a break straight away, which gives you a bit more confidence,’ said Sinner, who is chasing a fifth title of the year and 23rd overall.
‘I’m very happy how I served today. I felt like mostly the movement was good,’ said Sinner, who won an ATP 500 tournament in Vienna on Sunday despite having cramps.
Meanwhile in some other matches, defending champion Alexander Zverev joined Sinner in round three by rallying from 3-1 down in the final set to beat Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-7, 6-1, 7-5. He is next set to play 15th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
Ninth-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime rallied from a break down in the second set to register a 5-7, 7-6, 7-6 win over Frenchman Alexandre Muller. He next faces unseeded Daniel Altmaier. In another big match, Medvedev had a walkover after Grigor Dimitrov, the 2023 tournament runner-up, pulled out of their match due to a shoulder injury.
(With PTI inputs)