"Even when he's a bit off, you never feel like you can settle in," Mannarino praises Sinner
Despite putting up a strong fight, Adrian Mannarino couldn’t pull off the upset against Jannik Sinner. The Italian, as clinical as ever in crucial moments, secured a tight two-set victory over the Frenchman (6-4, 7-6) and advanced to the quarterfinals of the Ohio tournament, where he is the defending champion. After the match, the world No. 89 reflected on his battle against the top-ranked player.
"Even though it had been a while since I last faced him, I’d watched him play, especially at Roland-Garros. I’d also seen him practicing courtside. It’s true—he’s reached another level.
He hits the ball incredibly well, constantly applying pressure. Even when he’s slightly off, you never feel like you can find your rhythm. I don’t know if it’s always like this, but every time he needed a big serve or a clutch shot, he delivered.
Maybe I didn’t pressure him enough or he never felt threatened, but he stayed pretty relaxed. Whenever it mattered, he played really well, and that made the difference.
When I did manage to get game points, it was after long rallies where my heart was pounding, and maybe I didn’t make the best decisions. But he’s the one who put me in that state. Credit to him.
I was happy to force a tiebreak at a moment when I had him under pressure. But he stepped up. At 5-4, he fired two untouchable aces—hats off to him," he explained in recent hours before reflecting on his tournament overall.
"This tournament is still a big satisfaction. Honestly, the goal was just to qualify and maybe win a round or two. You always hope for a great result when you enter a tournament, but making the Round of 16 was a bit unexpected.
Maybe in a month or two, once I get into the rhythm of these guys, I can hope to reach that stage. But coming through qualifying, without big results lately, it’s a huge satisfaction.
If this helps me avoid qualifying rounds in the future, that’d be massive. Even if it’s just two matches, mentally it’s draining," Mannarino told *L'Équipe*.
Cincinnati 
