JANNIK Sinner struggled to overcome the hip injury he suffered to advance to the fourth round of the Madrid Open, Tuesday (30/4) WIB.
Against world number 72 Pavel Kotov, Sinner flexed his hips several times during the match and appeared to be in discomfort in winning 6-2 and 7-5, saving one set point before breaking at 4-5 in the second set to avoid playing out the set. decider.
“I had a little difficulty with my right hip. We are trying to find a solution and, in my opinion, it is not something serious. Sometimes I feel it more like today and some days it is a little better,” said Sinner, as broadcast by ATP, Tuesday (30/4).
“I have a good team behind me, and we will try to make my body work for tomorrow and we will decide tomorrow what is best for me and what is best for the body,” he continued.
AFP/KARIM JAAFAR—Russian tennis player Pavel Kotov
Sinner claimed four consecutive service breaks to cruise through the first set despite giving up his own serve twice in a row early in the set.
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Although he lost an early service game in the second set, Sinner improved his first serve winning percentage from 64% to 74% between sets.
“I’ve played two games now with the roof closed and the feeling with the ball is better compared to the first game. It was still a very complicated game,” Sinner said of his first meeting with Kotov.
Sinner, next, will face 16th seed Karen Khachanov, who beat Italian Flavio Cobolli 7-5, 6-4.
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Khachanov only scored nine winners with 14 unforced errors, while Cobolli recorded 32 unforced errors.
Khachanov has lost his last three matches once morest Sinner, including in the fourth round of this year’s Australian Open, but they have never met on clay.
“I felt sick last week so I didn’t play in Barcelona,” said Khachanov.
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“But with every game I win, I find confidence and rhythm.”
“Jannik is in his best form at the moment and he has only lost a few matches since the end of last year. (But) there is nothing to be afraid of. I just need to be prepared and find a good game plan and the weapons I need to beat him,” added the tennis player the 27 year old.
Sinner is ranked second in the world and will be 375 points behind Novak Djokovic if he can win the title in Madrid. (Ant/Z-1)
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