World number 12 Jannik Sinner beat Cristian Garin 6-3 6-2 in 1 hour and 15 minutes in their first head-to-head match at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna.
Both players went on serve in the first seven games with no break points. Garin saved a break point in the eighth game, but Sinner converted his second chance with a forehand down the line to take a 5-3 lead. Sinner won four consecutive points from 0-30 down to close out the first set 6-3.
Sinner earned a break point in the first game of the second set, but Garin saved it to hold serve at deuce. Sinner converted his second break point in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Garin saved a double break point in the fifth game to hold serve at deuce for 2-3. Sinner went up a double break in the seventh game to build a 5-2 lead. The Italian player fired three aces to win the second set 6-3 on his first match point.
“It was a difficult match, but I am happy with my result. This made me more reslaxed in the return games. It was not difficult to return to the court after an injury. In the preparation my priority was to get ready for Vienna and Paris”, said Jannik Sinner.
Sinner will face Francisco Cerundolo in the next round. They have drawn level to 1-1 in their head-to-head matches. Cerundolo won their first clash in Miami last March after Sinner withdrew from the match. Sinner beat his Argentine rival in the Davis Cup Round Robin match in Bologna last September. Sinner is currently ranked 15th in the ATP Race to Turin, 900 points behind seventh placer Felix Auger Aliassime.
