Sinner Clears De Jong Hurdle and Advances to Rome Round of 16

After a successful start two days ago, Jannik Sinner had to follow up in the third round of the Rome Masters 1000 against lucky loser Jesper De Jong.

With experience on his side, the world No. 1 dominated his opponent thanks to 21 winners, 4 aces, and strong efficiency on break points (5/7 converted). Despite a minor scare in the first set—where he was caught from 4-1 to 4-4—Sinner then took control, winning eight of the next ten games to secure a 6-4, 6-2 victory.

In the round of 16, he will face Francisco Cerundolo, ranked 18th in the world. This will be Sinner’s first real test in the Rome tournament, as the Argentine—who hasn’t dropped a set so far—comes off back-to-back semifinal runs in Munich and Madrid.