Photo credit: Antoine Couvercelle/ROLEX
Champion for all surfaces Jannik Sinner solidified a tennis truth today.
If you're not named Carlos Alcaraz, then you best buckle up facing the world No. 1 on any surface.
Launching his Halle title defense with a bang, Sinner stopped German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 7-5, 6-3 to score his sixth straight win at the Terra Wortmann Open.
The top-seeded Sinner smacked 10 aces without a double fault, permitted just seven points on first serve and saved both break points he faced in a tidy 90-minute victory. Sinner will play dangerous shot-maker Alexander Bublik in a round of 16 rematch of the Roland Garros quarterfinals, which Sinner won 6-1, 7-5, 6-0.
It was Sinner's first match since he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in the Roland Garros final—a five hour, 29-minute thriller—that was the longest final in French Open history and second-longest Grand Slam final ever.
"I’m very happy,” said Sinner. “He is a great server and a great baseliner, so breaking him is very difficult on this surface. I’m very happy how I handled the tough situations mentally.
"The first set could have gone into a tiebreak and then anything can happen.
"I’m very happy about my performance. First matches are never easy on grass, and also second and third matches, so let’s see what’s coming in the next round. I think tomorrow I have the day off, which is good, because the body feels different on this surface. Let’s see how I’m going to react.”
The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion is playing for his 10th consecutive final.
Sinner improved to 19-2 on the season with both losses coming to Alcaraz in last month's Rome final and this month's Roland Garros final. Sinner is now 48-3 in his last 51 matches with all three losses coming to five-time major champion Alcaraz.
Today, Hanfmann stayed in step with Sinner for most of the opening set. Sinner won eight of nine serve points to edge ahead 6-5.
In the longest game of the set, Hanfmann saved a set point but left a drop shot too deep in the service box. Sinner smacked a forehand winner down the line for a second set point.
When Hanfmann scattered a diagonal forehand wide, Sinner snatched a one-set lead after 55 minutes. Sinner saved a couple of break points to start the second set with a challenging hold. The Italian broke for 4-2 and never looked back.
It was a tough day for a few other seeds.
In a clash of left-handers Canadian Denis Shapovalov outlasted sixth-seeded Ugo Humbert 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(4). Shapovalov will play Flavio Cobolli in the round of 16.
American Alex Michelsen defeated fifth-seeded Francisco Cerundolo 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 to reach a round-of-16 clash against Stefanos Tsitsipas, playing his first tournament with former Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic as his new coach.