French tennis player Terence Atmane, who came through qualifying, caused another surprise by beating Holger Rune, the world number 9, at the Cincinnati Open. Atmane won the match 6-2, 6-3 and will now face world number one Jannik Sinner in the semi-final.
Atmane had already beaten world number 4 Taylor Fritz, and this latest win means he will now move into the top 100 in the rankings for the first time. The 23-year-old said, “I can’t believe it. Reaching the semi-final of a Masters 1000 and breaking into the top 100 is a big deal for me.”
His next opponent, Sinner, is the defending champion and Wimbledon winner. The Italian looked in top form as he easily beat Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-0, 6-2 in just 71 minutes. It was Sinner’s 30th match win this season and his 8th straight victory in Cincinnati.
“I felt great on the court today,” said Sinner. “But every day is different – let’s see how it goes in the semi-final.”
Sinner took control early, winning the first set in under 30 minutes. Even though he lost his serve at the start of the second set, he quickly recovered. Auger-Aliassime struggled with his serve and hit eight double-faults in total.
In another men’s match, Ben Shelton, the fifth seed, continued his good form after winning in Toronto. He beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 and will now play Alexander Zverev in the quarter-finals.
