"The work is starting to pay off," rejoices Atmane, reaching the round of 16 in a Masters 1000 for the first time in Cincinnati

Terence Atmane has qualified for the round of 16 in a Masters 1000 for the first time in his career at the Cincinnati Masters 1000. The Frenchman, who came through qualifying, then defeated Yoshihito Nishioka (6-2, 6-2), Flavio Cobolli (6-4, 3-6, 7-6), and João Fonseca (6-3, 6-4).

With this, Atmane has earned himself another marquee match against Taylor Fritz this Wednesday for a spot in the quarterfinals. Ranked 136th in the world this week, the 23-year-old player is savoring his strong tournament run in Ohio.

"The work is starting to pay off. There’s a lot more seriousness in what I do on and off the court. It proves I belong in the round of 16 of a Masters 1000, but it’s not an end in itself.

I’ll have to keep working hard to produce these kinds of results consistently and not just as a one-off. Against Taylor Fritz, I have a score to settle! (Fritz had beaten him in two tie-breaks at last year’s Shanghai Masters 1000)," he told *L'Équipe*.