Defending champion Jannik Sinner beat Egor Gerasimov 6-2 7-6 (7-3) to advance to the quarter finals at the Sofia Open. In the first round Gerasimov beat Vasek Pospisil, who lost to Sinner in last year’s final of the Sofia Open.
Sinner saved three break points in the first game to hold serve at deuce before breaking serve in the second game. The 2021 Miami Open finalist fended off two consecutive break points in the seventh game to hold serve for 5-2 before earning his second break to close out the first set 6-2 after 37 minutes.
In the second set Sinner saved a break point in the third game. Gerasimov converted his second break point in the ninth game to earn his chance to serve for the set, but Sinner broke straight back with two returns. Gerasimov saved two match points
Both players went on serve in the first five points of the tie-break. Sinner earned two mini-breaks to take a 5-2 lead. Gerasimov pulled one break back on the eighth point, but Sinner earned his third mini-break and sealed the win on his first match point.
“I think this year what I have done was good, with some ups and downs. Every week when I play it’s trying to understand something new. trying to learn something new. I am trying to play my best tennis. Obviously it’s not going to be easy, but I am happy to be back to Sofia, where I won my first title. Gerasimov got through the qualifying round. I was playing my first match. I am happy that I played a very tight match in the first round. It could help me in the next rounds. I have enough time before the start of Indian Wells, as I will probably make my debut next Thursday. I am planning to play in Indian Wells, Antwerp, Vienna, Paris. If I need points to qualify for the Turin ATP Finals, I will play in Stockholm. If I don’t need points and I am already qualified for Turin, I will play at the Next Gen ATP Finals in Milan “, said Sinner.
Sinner set up a second round match against last week’s Nur Sultan finalist James Duckworth, who beat Benoit Paire 6-4 6-4. Duckworth won 11 of his pas 12 matches.
“I got off to a slow start there. Benoit was playing with a lot of variety, so I found it a bit difficult to find my range at the start, but then I was able to find my range a little bit and come through in the end”, said Duckworth.
Marcos Giron beat Alex De Minaur 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2) for the second time in as many weeks.
Giron earned the first break at love in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. De Minaur broke back in the sixth game to draw level to 3-3. Giron saved two break points in the eighth game. Giron rallied from 2-4 to win the tie-break 7-5.
De Minaur saved five break points Giron came back from a break down at 4-5 before winning the tie-break of the second set 7-2 with three mini-breaks after two hours.
“Resilience is the key word. The second set was tough. I had break opportunities at 40-0 and I had five opportunities in the first game, and I did a good job sticking round”, said De Minaur.
Giron will take on John Millman, who came back from one set down to beat Ukrainian qualifier Ilya Marchenko 5-7 7-6 (7-0) 6-3 in their first head-to-head match. Gianluca Mager set up a quarter final clash against Gael Monfils, who qualified for the next round without playing the match after Ilya Ivashka withdrew from the match due to an injury.
