Sinner seeks to put disappointment of French Open defeat behind him
World number one Jannik Sinner wants to use the Halle Open as a chance to bounce back from sleepless nights after his agonising loss to rival Carlos Alcaraz in the French Open final this month.
In a thrilling showdown, Sinner took the first two sets and had three match points in the fourth set, but Spaniard Alcaraz persevered to grind out a 4-6 6-7(4) 6-4 7-6(3) 7-6(10-2) win in five hours and 29 minutes - the longest final at Roland Garros.
Asked if he had thought about the championship points he failed to convert, Sinner told reporters on Saturday: 'Often. It happens. I don't know how it will look in the future.
Also read | Zverev reaches Stuttgart Open final
'I think that it is not the most important thing, but I nevertheless try to forget the negative things and see what I can do here' in Halle.
'I think that for me to play another tournament is positive, because every match is a new beginning, and I must be mentally ready to give my all on the court. Therefore, it is great I can be here in Halle. Yes, I had already a few sleepless nights, but I think every day it gets better.'
The 23-year-old Italian is the reigning champion at Halle and will seek to defend his crown at the tournament, which starts on Monday, as he gears up for Wimbledon, which will be held from June 30 to July 13 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club.
'The first practice session was OK. I hadn't played since Paris, so my general feelings on the court were not so perfect,' Sinner said.
'I think a good grass-court player can move well. The ball can bounce a bit funny because of the grass, and you have to serve intelligently.
'But in general, it is a surface on which I took a step forward last year and we will see how it goes this year.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
U Mumba wins maiden Ultimate Table Tennis title after beating Jaipur Patriots in UTT 2025 final
P.B. Abhinandh, emulating Carlos Alcaraz from last week's French Open final, fell flat on his back as Jeet Chandra's crosscourt forehand clipped the net and went out to seal U Mumba's first-ever Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league title in front of a near-capacity crowd at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad on Sunday. With the Mumbai-based franchise leading Jaipur Patriots 7-2 after mixed doubles, the 17-year-old from Chennai had to win just one game against Chandra in the first reverse singles. The situation was in total contrast to his team's semifinal against Dempo Goa Challengers where he had to earn at least one point. But like he did against the Challengers, Abhinandh captured the third game after being outplayed for most part in the first two against Chandra, eight years his senior. And this time, no houdini act was required from Yashaswini Ghorpade. The platform for Mumba's win was set by captain Bernadette Szocs. World No. 12 Szocs, who ended Zeng Jian's unbeaten streak in the final-four tie, also brought Sreeja Akula's undefeated run to a halt. The Romanian produced a serving masterclass, troubling Sreeja with her numerous variations in the tomahawk serve. At 10-9 in the opener, Szocs surprised the Indian with the long pendulum serve down the line and caught her completely off guard. The platform for Mumba's win was set by captain Bernadette Szocs. World No. 12 Szocs, who ended Zeng Jian's unbeaten streak in the final-four tie, also brought Sreeja Akula's undefeated run to a halt. | Photo Credit: VIJAY SONEJI In a closely-fought second iteration, Szocs, amidst the loud 'Sreeja! Sreeja!' cheers on Golden Point brought the tomahawk serve out again but the Indian made the return and the Mumba skipper netted the third ball with her forehand. Sreeja, who won five of her six matches in the tournament with a 2-1 scoreline, would have believed in herself to replicate the same once again. But it wasn't her day as her forehand kept misfiring in the decider. Szocs deserved credit for that as well as she came up with at least two clutch forehand retrieves from way behind the table to keep the rallies going. A warmed-up Szocs then combined with Akash Pal to blank Chandra and Dutchwoman Britt Eerland in a one-sided mixed doubles. The Patriots had started on a positive note with skipper Kanak Jha bagging the first game 11-4 against Lilian Bardet. But the Frenchman, also known as ' managed to unleash his strong forehand shots during the second game and from thereon, it was a totally different contest. Champion U Mumba received INR 60 lakh, runner-up Patriots got INR 40 lakh while the two losing semifinalists - Dabang Delhi TTC and the Challengers - each was awarded INR 17.5 lakh in prize money. RESULT Final: U Mumba 8-4 Jaipur Patriots Lilian Bardet bt. Kanak Jha 2-1 (4-11, 11-5, 11-7) Bernadette Szocs bt. Sreeja Akula 2-1 (11-9, 10-11, 11-5) Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Jeet Chandra/Britt Eerland 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-5) P.B. Abhinandh lost 1-2 (5-11, 8-11, 11-8) to Jeet Chandra
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
BOSS Open final: Taylor Fritz defeats Alexander Zverev at Stuttgart
Taylor Fritz defeated Alexander Zverev at the Stuttgart Open 2025, also called the BOSS Open. Fritz won the first set 6-3, before play was suspended for a bit due to bad weather. The game resumed, Fritz winning the second set 7-6. This is his ninth ATP title. The Stuttgart Open is one of the most important tournaments for players preparing for Wimbledon. The Grand Slam is the only one played on grass so the court at the BOSS Open is a chance for players to get their bearings before Wimbledon. Zverev defeated American player Ben Shelton7-6(8), 7-6(1) in the semi-finals. The top-seeded German struck 36 winners and did not face a break point in the game. As per ATP, Alexander Zverev is in his third tour-level final on grass after he reached the stage in 2016 and 2017 at Halle. The German reached the final of the Australian Open this year. This was followed by opening-round defeats in Monte-Carlo and Indian Wells. Zverev bounced back in March, claiming his first title of the season in Munich. For Zverev, a title at Stuttgart would have made him the first German to win the tournament since 1991. Also read: 'She was disruptive…': Australian Open boss defends Alexander Zverev after heckler serves domestic abuse reminder As for Fritz, the American defeated Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(5) on Saturday to reach the BOSS Open final. The American player is more comfortable on grass, with three titles in Eastbourne (2019, 2022, 2024) to show for it., Fritz has also got the better of Zverev in their past four meetings. This includes the Nitto ATP semi-finals last year. The winner of the singles final will get €114,335/ 250 points. The runner-up will receive 66,695 / 165 points. Till date, Rafael Nadal is the most successful player at the BOSS Open, having won three titles before he hung his boots. The Stuttgart Open is called BOSS Open as the tournament has been sponsored by Hugo Boss since 2022. Tennis tournaments are called open since both amateur and professional players can participate in the contest. The singles winner gets a prize money of $3,600,000. Fans in the United States can watch the BOSS Open on Tennis TV.
The Hindu
4 hours ago
- The Hindu
Zverev's grass-court woes continue as he loses Stuttgart Open final to Fritz
Taylor Fritz claimed his first title of the year with a 6-3, 7-6(0) win over top seed Alexander Zverev in the Stuttgart Open final on Sunday, extending his winning streak against the German to five matches. Fritz, who knocked out Zverev in the fourth round of Wimbledon last year, won the opening set 6-3 in 30 minutes without facing a break point. The American second seed broke for a 5-3 lead after Zverev double-faulted twice and missed a volley at the net. The second set stayed on serve, with Zverev saving the only break point at 5-5 before Fritz pulled away in a one-sided tiebreak to seal victory. It was Fritz's ninth career title, fourth on grass, and improved his head-to-head record against Zverev to 8-5. The 28-year-old Zverev is yet to win a title on grass, a surface he has long struggled on. The three-time Grand Slam finalist has never progressed beyond the fourth round at Wimbledon. World number seven Fritz, 27, is set to rise to fourth in the rankings ahead of Wimbledon, which runs from June 30 to July 13.
