Jannik Sinner overcame a tough challenge in Lorenzo Sonego to reach the last eight in Halle.
Sinner won the all-Italian battle 6-7(4) 6-4 6-4 in a match that nearly lasted three hours.
The fourth seed’s victory over Sonego meant that he is now into a ninth ATP quarter-final of the season and a first one on grass of his career, which doesn’t include his run to last year’s Wimbledon quarter-finals.
Speaking after his victory Sinner praised his mental toughness in a very long battle against Sonego, “It was a tough match for sure,” Sinner told the ATP website.
“He had a lot of chances, me also in the first set. I made a couple of mistakes in the tie-break but that can happen. On grass courts it’s never easy, and the way I reacted, especially mentally, I guess I did a good job. Obviously playing against him is never easy.”
Sinner’s first two matches in Halle both went to three sets and lasted a combined total of five hours but that doesn’t concern the Italian heading into the quarter-finals, “[I’ve played a lot of hours for] these couple of matches but it’s better,” Sinner claimed to the ATP website.
“I can touch more balls on the grass courts and hopefully it can give me a lot of confidence.”
Sinner will look to gain even more confidence in the quarter-finals when he takes on Alexander Bublik.
The Kazakh booked his spot in the last eight with a three set victory over home favourite Jan-Lennard Struff.
Meanwhile in other results Andrey Rublev overcame a tough opening set to defeat Yannik Hanfmann 7-6(6) 6-3.
Rublev will now take on Tallon Griekspoor in the last eight after the s-Hertogenbosch champion defeated Hubert Hurkacz 6-3 1-6 7-6(8).
The other two quarter-finals on Friday will see Daniil Medvedev face Roberto Bautista Agut while Alexander Zverev faces Nicolas Jarry.
