In Beijing
Sinner closes the QF spot with another Beijing comeback
World No. 1 will play Lehecka in the last eight of the ATP 500
September 28, 2024
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner plays Roman Safiullin on Saturday at the China Open in Beijing.
Written by Andy West
Jannik Sinner’s tenacity has been on full display so far this week at the China Open.
No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Saturday marked his second consecutive victory at this year’s ATP 500 event in Beijing. Sinner outlasted Roman Safiullin 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 to maintain his record of reaching at least the quarter-finals in every tour-level event he has played in 2024.
After coming off a layoff against Nicolas Jarry in the opening round, Sinner found himself in trouble again in the Chinese capital after the free-scoring Safiullin served up a double on his way to first place. However, the top brass responded with an emphatic victory in two hours, 22 minutes at Capital Group’s Diamond Court.
“It’s a tough game. “He is an unbelievable player and we always have tough battles,” said Sinner. “This was the third time we met, so we know each other a little bit. He’s coming back very well, and he’s been serving well in key moments. So I tried to keep myself mentally strong, which was very difficult today.
“Especially on these types of days, when maybe you don’t feel 100 percent, to get a pass means a lot to me. He’s an unbelievable player, so I knew I had to step it up when it counted.”
The return is complete ✔️@janniksin advanced to the quarter-finals in #China Open ⚡️@ChinaOpen pic.twitter.com/9tQ7bGQv5c
– ATP Tour (@atptour) September 28, 2024
Sinner’s raw power and consistency from baseline slowly wore down her opponent, and the Italian won seven straight games from 2-2 in the second set to dominate the second-round encounter. Sinner finished the match having converted four of his 13 break points against Safiullin, according to Infosys ATP Stats.
With his 57th victory in 2024, Sinner tied Alexander Zverev for the most victories of the season. The next challenge for the Italians in Beijing will be a last eight meeting with Jiri Lehecka, who defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Saturday’s victory was another small step towards becoming the ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF for Sinner. He is the runaway leader in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, where his current advantage over second-placed Zverev stands at 2,985 points.
