Eighteen year-old Italian Next Gen player Jannik Sinner stunned world number 13 Gael Monfils 6-3 6-2 in 61 minutes to reach his first quarter final at an ATP Tour event in his career at the European Open in Antwerp.
Sinner, who is currently ranked world number 119 and received a wild card to play in Antwerp, beat a top 20 player for the first time in his career. The player from SudTyrol saved the only break point he faced and broke Monfils four times.
Sinner had never beaten a top 50 player. Before today Sinner achieved his biggest win against Steve Johnson in Rome. The Northern Italian player earned an early break at the start of the first set. Monfils made four double faults and had to save three break points in the third and fifth games. Sinner earned three more break points in the ninth game and converted his second chance to seal the opening set 6-3.
Sinner broke serve in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead. Monfils faced three more break points in the eighth game. Sinner misfired on a return on his first match point but he forced an error off Monfils’ backhand slice to convert his second break point chance closing out the second set 6-2. Monfils is the highest-ranked player Sinner has ever beaten.
Thanks to this win Sinner will improve his career-high to world number 108. His goal is to reach the top 100 at the end of year in order to qualify for the main draw of next January’s Australian Open.
Sinner set up a quarter final against US Next Gen Finals contender Frances Tiafoe, who beat Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4 6-4 in 78 minutes. Sinner, who is currently ranked world number 13 in the Race to Milan, has received a wild-card to play in the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan.
“I played a very solid game. He did not play his best tennis for sure. It’s not easy if you make the final the year before and then to come here to play a young player and wild card. I think I played solid today. I served good on the important points and I think that was the key today”, said Sinner.
Sinner had never beaten a Top 50 player. He achieved his previous biggest win against world number 59 Steve Johnson at this year’s Internazionali d’Italia in Rome before losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas. A last September’s US Open he pushed Stan Wawrinka to four sets.
“The match against Tsitsipas helped me to play against Wawrinka. It was a very big court against a three-time Grand Slam champion. I played very good there. Of course that helped me. I am trying to make experience this year, I am trying to play good or better next year”, said Sinner.
