Jannik Sinner (ATP 2) once again underlined his status as the favorite to win the Erste Bank Open with a strong round-of-16 performance. Against fellow Italian Flavio Cobolli (ATP 22), the South Tyrolean won 6-2, 7-6 (4) and extended his unbeaten streak on hard courts against Italian players to 17-0. Against opponents outside the Top 20, Sinner has now won 51 of his last 52 matches. Unlike in the first round, however, he had to work harder against his countryman.
After a brief feeling-out phase at the start, Sinner quickly took control with an early break, followed by a second to close out the first set 6-2. The second set was much tighter: Cobolli impressed not only with fighting spirit but also with high-quality tennis, pushing Sinner to the limit. Both players held serve throughout, forcing a tiebreak. There, Sinner held firm and took it 7-4. After 1 hour and 47 minutes, he converted his first match point with a service winner.
“It was very difficult today,” Sinner admitted after the match. “We both played good tennis, and I’m happy I managed to win in straight sets. Flavio is very talented, and it’s great for Italy to have such strong young players like him.”
Asked whether he thought about facing a compatriot during the match, he replied: “No, not really. He’s a Top 20 player. But of course, we know each other well and have already practiced together.”
In the quarterfinals, Sinner will face Alexander Bublik (KAZ).
In the final round-of-16 match, Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti (ATP 8) faced Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ATP 60). The tournament’s No. 4 seed showed no weakness, claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory after 1 hour and 33 minutes.
