Italian Open: Jannik Sinner Shrug Off Early Onslaught To Eliminate Francisco Cerundolo

Jannik Sinner has progressed to the Italian Open quarterfinals after eliminating Francisco Cerundolo in three sets. 7-6(2), 6-3 in round of 16.

Last time Sinner and Cerundolo met in Rome, the Argentine defeated Sinner to secure his second Masters 1000 quarterfinal appearance. However, the world number one got a payback to take a 3-2 lead in the head-to-head count. 

Sinner was returning from a three-month doping suspension that he had served, issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency, after being found guilty of using banned substances. He won the two previous rounds without dropping a set, and now Cerundolo, in the bid for his first Italian Open title. 

"He's a very tough competitor," said Sinner. "It's obviously a great challenge for me, especially now in this moment, trying to get used to so many difficult situations on the court."

Unlike their previous meeting, Sinner rallied to force a tiebreak after the Argentine claimed his first break and took a 5-4 lead. He claimed a set point on an unforced error. He won two more breaks in the second set and claimed a match point on Cerundolo's wide backhand shot. 

Cerundolo was a tough opponent with strong groundstrokes and unpredictable, using his drop shots. However, Sinner was up to the challenge to secure his 24th consecutive match win.