Jannik Sinner struggled in the first set against Francisco Cerúndolo, but then shifted gears to comfortably reach the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters 1000 — a stage he had never reached before.
For the South Tyrolean champion, the 7-5, 6-1 victory over the Argentine in just under an hour and a half marked his 50th win of the season. He will now face American Ben Shelton, ranked No. 7 in the ATP standings, whom he has defeated six times in their seven previous meetings.
Lorenzo Sonego’s run, on the other hand, ended in the round of 16. Facing Daniil Medvedev, the player from Piedmont lost 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 to the Russian world No. 13, who prevailed after just under two hours and forty-five minutes of battle.
Sinner, who was the clear favorite against the South American, didn’t seem fully fit in the first set, and Cerúndolo took advantage, keeping pace with him up to 5-5 by responding to Sinner’s breaks with two counter-breaks of his own. Regaining rhythm on serve, the Italian took the lead and consolidated it in the 12th game, earning a decisive third break to seal the set.
Contrary to earlier concerns, the second set went smoothly for Sinner. He broke serve immediately and, looking fresher and more reactive, closed out the match convincingly with a 6-1 scoreline.
“I was up a break twice in the first set but didn’t convert. I put myself in a difficult situation,” Sinner explained afterward, “also because Cerúndolo is a very strong player. I’m happy with how I finished the match — I felt much better. Every match is tough, and now I just hope to recover physically, which is the priority. We’re trying to manage the situation — I’m not exactly fresh, we’ll see. Fortunately, today wasn’t a very physical match; I finished in an hour and a half, and I hope to be ready.”
