'Who's That Pokemon?: Terence Atmane Gifts Jannik Sinner Pikachu Card On Birthday
Ahead of the semifinal match at Cincinnati Open, which happened to fall on Sinner's birthday, Atmane presented a Pokémon card to the Italian in a brilliant gesture.
World No.1 Jannik Sinner moved into the final of the Cincinnati Open with his win over French qualifier Terance Atmane, who surprised the world with his deep run at the tune-up event to the US Open.
Ahead of the semifinal match, which happened to fall on Sinner's birthday, Atmane presented a Pokémon card to the Italian in a brilliant gesture from the Frenchman.
pic.twitter.com/ImmTUXtkFy
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 16, 2025
Jannik Sinner reveals the Pokémon card he got from Terence Atmane on his birthday before their match in Cincinnati.Pikachu! ⚡️🦊
pic.twitter.com/rwVkjjVoDJ https://t.co/6aBq1PYW1P
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 16, 2025
Sinner decisively defeated French qualifier Terence Atmane 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, ending Atmane's impressive run. The Italian is now aiming to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2014-15 to win back-to-back titles in Cincinnati. Sinner, preparing for the US Open in his first tournament since winning Wimbledon, has not dropped a set on his way to the final.
Sinner lost only three points in his first six service games, resulting in a tiebreaker with neither player facing a break point.
Atmane double-faulted on the first point of the tiebreaker, allowing Sinner to gain momentum, leading 5-2 and clinching the set on his second opportunity.
Sinner showed his first sign of vulnerability in the second set, needing five game points to hold serve in the opening game. However, that was the closest Atmane came to breaking his serve. Sinner broke the Frenchman for a 3-1 lead and again to seal the match.
Atmane, projected to break into the top 70 in world rankings, became Sinner's 22nd consecutive French opponent defeated since May 2021, when he lost to Arthur Rinderknech in Lyon.
view comments
First Published:
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
2 hours ago
- New Indian Express
World C'ships an opportunity for Lakshya to turn things around: Coach Vimal
CHENNAI: The season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend. With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process. However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event — scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31 — as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name. The odds are clearly stacked against Lakshya but a victory against the World No 1 shuttler could just be the kick he needs. U Vimal Kumar, Lakshya's coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), concurred. "It's an opportunity (for Lakshya). That's what I told him the moment I saw the draw. He said everything is going well. Shi Yu Qi is someone whom he has beaten before. The top-30 players who'll be playing in the event, Lakshya has beaten all of them. He can beat any of them but he has to convert his chances. The top guys are also vulnerable and they'll be under pressure. Shi can also be under pressure. He knows Lakshya's strengths and it's going to be a tough match. If Lakshya can play fearlessly and pull off a win, it will be a good breakthrough," Vimal told this daily. Lakshya this season has either struggled to get his engine burning, going by his early exits or he has seemed to be lacking ideas during the business end of sweat-dripping matches. Vimal, who has been regularly looking to motivate his ward, said that is the issue that he's trying to address at the moment. "He needs match-practice. Training is not new, he has been doing that for long. He has been looking to work on dealing with different situations, how you employ yourself and pull off wins. He has been faltering in those closing stages. That is an area that they're trying to get better at, to understand when to push the pace, when to keep the shuttle in play without making mistakes when under pressure. That he can only gain in the practice that he's getting over there as there are quite a lot of other elite players who're also practising there. He has to figure things out, everything can't be coached."
India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
Premier League: Amorim's new-look United fall 0-1 to Arsenal at Old Trafford
It was an underwhelming start for Ruben Amorim's Manchester United as they fell 1-0 to Arsenal at Old Trafford in their Premier League 2025-26 season opener on Sunday, August 18. Despite enjoying large spells of possession, the Red Devils failed to make it count, while Arsenal capitalised on their one clear chance through a well-taken decisive moment arrived in the 13th minute when defender Ricardo Calafiori rose highest to head home from a corner. United's goalkeeper Altay Bayindir misjudged the flight of the ball, allowing the Italian to nod it into the net. The mistake will surely raise questions over Bayindir's place in the starting lineup, especially with Andre Onana available for selection but left on the bench by new attacking recruits, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, showed flashes of promise on their Premier League debuts. Cunha's pace on the wing troubled Arsenal at times, while Mbeumo linked play well, though both struggled to deliver a decisive final ball. In contrast, the striking options on both sides endured quiet evenings. Arsenal's Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres, as well as United's forwards, were unable to impose themselves. Despite being the side dictating tempo for much of the contest, United lacked sharpness in the final third. They created half-chances but failed to truly test David Raya in the Arsenal goal. The Gunners, meanwhile, were content to sit deep after their opener, soaking up pressure and protecting their slender lead with disciplined match ended with United feeling they had let the game slip. Arsenal, while not at their fluent best, will be relieved to have ground out three points away from Amorim, however, the pressure will mount quickly. Backed heavily in the summer transfer window after last season's struggles, the Portuguese coach knows that results will be demanded immediately. United's fans, still scarred from a poor 2024-25 campaign, will expect a quick response when the team returns to action.- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Rahm edges Niemann for LIV season title as Munoz wins at Indy
Spain's Jon Rahm captured his second consecutive LIV Golf season crown on Sunday, shooting an 11-under par 60 before losing a playoff to Colombia's Sebastian Munoz at LIV Golf Indianapolis. HT Image Munoz birdied the first playoff hole to beat Rahm for the Indy title after both finished on 22-under 191 through all 54 holes at Chatham Hills in the Saudi-backed series' last individual event of the year. But Rahm's result was good enough to edge Chile's Joaquin Niemann in the season points chase for the second year in a row, delivering heartbreak on the season's last day as he did in 2024. Rahm won the campaign title without winning any LIV event while Niemann took titles this year in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico City, Virginia and Britain. Rahm captured $18 million for claiming the season crown with Niemann taking $8 million for his runner-up season finish after sharing fourth at Indy on 196 with a closing 66. Munoz, who battled two-time major winner Dustin Johnson for the lead most of the day, birdied the 17th and 18th holes in regulation and the 18th again in the playoff to win his first title since the 2019 PGA Tour Sanderson Farms Championship. "We came today to try and take care of business," Munoz said. "Of course Jon shot 10-under so you go from one legend to another one. It was pretty cool. Awesome experience. Making birdie two times in a row (at 18), it's undescribable. Munoz battled for the victory after firing a 59 on Friday, only the third sub-60 round in LIV history. "I feel really proud of myself," he said. "It has been a long time coming, six years since my last win, and it's awesome right now." A severe overnight storm toppled trees and swamped fairways, delaying the shotgun start by 55 minutes, with players using lift, clean and place rules on the rain-softened course. Masters and US Open winner Rahm birdied six of the first 10 holes, eagled the par-five 13th and after a bogey at 14 closed with four consecutive birdies to pull away from Niemann, whose five birdies in the last eight holes were not enough to keep pace with Rahm. Rahm nearly holed his approach at 15 to set up a tap-in birdie, sank a six-foot birdie at 16, birdied 17 and dropped his approach at 18 inches from the hole for another tap-in birdie. Even after Rahm finished, Niemann had a last title chance if Munoz forced and won a playoff and Johnson made double bogey at 18. Munoz did his part but Johnson birdied the last to finish third to end Niemann's hopes. England's Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter avoided being dumped from LIV for 2026, finishing in the season's top 48 in points to escape the relegation zone. Westwood birdied four of his first five holes while Poulter birdied four of his last five to avoid the drop, each finishing on 201. Sweden's Henrik Stenson was dropped, however, after missing a birdie putt at the 18th that would have seen him avoid relegation at Poulter's expense. Niemann's Torque won the Indy team title, it's first triumph since 2023, but Rahm's Legion XIII holds the top seeding for next week's LIV Team Championship. js/bb
