Sinner sweeps past Norrie to reach Madrid quarter-finals
· CNA · JoinRead a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
(removes extraneous word from headline, no change to story)
By Fernando Kallas
MADRID, April 28 : World number one Jannik Sinner brushed aside Britain's Cameron Norrie 6-2 7-5 on Tuesday to book a place in the Madrid Open quarter-finals, stretching his ATP Masters 1000 winning streak to 25 matches as the players avoided the worst of the heat.
The match at 11 a.m. local time meant they started in cooler conditions but Madrid is on red alert for allergies, with record pollen levels not seen in 45 years drifting across the Caja Magica, the tennis centre in the southwest of the capital.
CNA Games
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
Show More
Show Less
Yellow and white grains have swirled and settled on the clay for several days, at times coating the courts and irritating eyes and throats but Sinner showed little sign of discomfort.
The Italian, still seeking his first Madrid title to complete a notable gap in his trophy cabinet, wasted no time asserting control. He raced through the opening set in 35 minutes, giving Norrie scant opportunity to settle.
The Briton tried to change the script in the second set but was under constant pressure. Sinner had two break points in the fourth game and soon broke for 3-2 after Norrie's underarm serve trickled into the net, drawing boos from the crowd.
Norrie, seeded 19th, responded immediately, breaking back to level at 3-3 and briefly reignited the contest.
He held firm until the 10th game, where a double fault handed Sinner two more break points. Norrie saved both to reach deuce but Sinner quickly carved out another opportunity, which he converted to edge ahead 6-5.
From there, the top seed kept his composure, wrapping up the contest in one hour 26 minutes.
"I'm happy with my performance," Sinner said. "I tried to be a bit more aggressive and I believe it worked very well for me against a very tough competitor. So I'm happy to go ahead in two sets and ready for the next round."
Sinner will next face either Czech Vit Kopriva or 19-year-old wild card and Madrid native Rafa Jodar.
Newsletter
Recommended Read
Subscribe to CNA's Recommended Read
A single handpicked story that we think you shouldn't miss. Just one a day.
Sign up for our newsletters
Get our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inbox
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app