Defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner cruised to the last 16 round of the Cincinnati Open after defeating Canadian Gabriel Diallo 6-2 7-6 (8-6).
However, it was not without some drama. The match was delayed due to a fire alarm before the world number marched on. Play was halted in the second game of the second set when a fire alarm in the 1899 club grandstand began to sound.
The start of Sinner’s evening match was delayed by a late finish to Taylor Fritz’s match with Lorenzo Sonego, which endured a 75-minute delay when the venue lost power. The 27-year-old American, who lost to Ben Shelton in straight sets in Canada last week, moved past the Italian 7-6(4), 7-5 in two hours and eight minutes, without facing a break point.
After a delay of several minutes, Jannik Sinner and Diallo agreed to play through the sound and flashes, playing four points before the alarm ended, ATP reports.
The Italian, although, admitted that it was not the best of days on the court.
“I feel like today was a very difficult day at the office,” Sinner said. “He was serving very well, especially in the second set. Against big servers you always have to find the right balance at the back of the court.
“Today I struggled a bit at times. But still very happy. I need these tough matches… getting used to very difficult situations. I’m very happy this happened before a Grand Slam.”
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Sinner ultimately wrapped up the match after saving a set point with a clutch forehand service return in the tie-break.
The Wimbledon champion is on a 22-match hard-court winning streak since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final in October. He next plays the either Tommy Paul or Adrian Mannarino.
Sinner is playing his first tournament since winning his first Wimbledon title, and is 27-3 on the season, according to ATP Stats. He is just 10 wins away from 300 career wins. Sinner earlier in the tournament became the second player to qualify for November’s ATP Finals, where he will be the defending his title.
