Sinner through in Halle to set up clash with former champion Bublik
June 17 (Reuters) - Top seed Jannik Sinner beat local hope Yannick Hanfmann 7-5 6-3 to move into the last 16 at the Halle Open on Tuesday as the world number one looks to defend the only grasscourt title he has won in his career.
In his first match since the epic Roland Garros final where he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a contest that lasted 5-1/2 hours, Sinner returned to winning ways as he got the better of Hanfmann who is ranked 138 in the world.
"I'm very happy. He is a great server and a great baseliner, so breaking him is very difficult on this surface," Sinner said.
"I'm very happy how I handled the tough situations mentally. The first set could have gone into a tiebreak and then anything can happen.
"First matches are never easy on grass, and also second and third matches. So let's see what's coming in the next round. I think tomorrow I have the day off, which is good, because the body feels different on this surface."
Sinner will next face Alexander Bublik, who won the tournament in 2023 and also faced the Italian in the French Open quarter-finals, and the top seed said he can only expect "the unexpected" against the unpredictable Kazakh entertainer.
"He's a great player, a great talent. A huge talent, actually, and grass is his favourite surface. He beat me here in Halle, he won (the trophy) here in Halle, so it's for sure a place he loves to play," Sinner added.
"I'm trying to stay calm mentally and trying to see what I can reach. He's a great talent, a great server and he can do whatever he wants. It's hopefully going to be a good match."
Earlier, Russian fourth seed Andrey Rublev beat Sebastian Ofner 6-3 6-4 to advance but other top seeds Ugo Humbert and Francisco Cerundolo fell.
Denis Shapovalov knocked out sixth seed Humbert 6-4 4-6 7-6(4) while American Alex Michelsen beat fifth seed Cerundolo 2-6 7-5 6-4.
Shapovalov's Canadian compatriot Felix Auger-Aliassime also advanced but not before he was taken the distance by Laslo Djere in a 6-3 6-7(6) 6-1 victory.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
35 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Four-time NBA champion drops bombshell hint over plans to retire from basketball
After 13 NBA seasons and four NBA titles, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green is preparing for his life after basketball. Having played since 2012, the former Defensive Player of the Year, four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection opened up on just how much gas may be left in the tank for him. Speaking at Sport Beach from the Cannes Lions Festival in France, Green revealed that his days on the court are numbered and he knows how much time is remaining. 'As I transition in the next two or three years from basketball… I know that's where my life leads me in the next two or three years,' the 35-year-old Green said. Green did not go into any more specifics - such as what he might do at the end of his time in the NBA. He has made some appearances on 'Inside the NBA' in the past and currently hosts his own podcast - possibly indicating his desire to work in media full-time after his playing days are done. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) Green was speaking on the panel - centered around sports villains and athlete storytelling in the discussion hosted by Stagwell. One of the more notorious 'villains' in the NBA, Green was unapologetic in recognizing the role he plays. 'I think in order for there to be a hero, there has to be a villain,' Green said. 'One doesn't work without the other… It's what creates storylines… If everyone's the hero, who do we hate?' Green was adamant that he's a completely different person off the court than he is on the court, telling the crowd, 'You may not think so, but I don't always try to be hated.' In recent years, Green has been suspended a number of times for his brazen actions on the court. That includes 2023, when he was suspended twice for violent on-court altercations. In November, during a brawl on the court, Green was seen putting Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a chokehold. After serving his five-game suspension, Green played six more games before hitting then-Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face. For this, he was suspended indefinitely before returning to the team after missing 12 games.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Man Utd wonderkid inspires incredible comeback as England u19s score four in 11 MINUTES to salvage point against Germany
ETHAN WHEATLEY inspired an incredible comeback for the England U19s against Germany at the Euros. The Manchester United wonderkid netted a crucial goal as the Young Lions battled back from 5-1 down. 2 2 Noah Darvich and Said El Mala put the Germans 2-0 up inside 31 minutes. Fulham 's Joshua King got England back into the game before Germany took full control with three more goals. England appeared down and out until they pulled off a miraculous fightback in the second half. Wheatley, 19, scored in the 52nd minute to close the gap to three and salvage some hope. Reiss-Alexander Russell-Denny, Zach Abbott, and Jesse Shaun Derry then all scored before the 64th minute to level the score in a stunning 11-MINUTE turnaround. Fans were left stunned by the efforts of the teenagers at the Stadionul Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest, Romania. Many took to social media to heap praise on the players. One posted: "This is all-timer stuff." JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS A second wrote: "German keeper gone full Mexico 70 - Peter Bonetti." A third commented: "As the Germans should know, 5-1 really isn't a dangerous lead." Thomas Tuchel discusses England future after World Cup A fourth said: "If only the men's team did that!" Another added: "One of the best games I've seen in ages. Brilliant from England." The result leaves England's U19s second in Group B, trailing just their next opponents, Holland. Germany will not have to wait long for a chance of revenge over England. The U21s will face off tomorrow night at their age-level Euros in Slovakia.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Daniel Levy says Spurs aiming to WIN Champions League under ‘super' Thomas Frank and reveals why Ange had to go
DANIEL LEVY wants more European glory for Tottenham and has targeted winning the Champions League. The bullish Spurs chairman is also eyeing a Premier League title after declaring last month's Europa League triumph as 'not enough' to satisfy the club's sky-high ambitions. 7 7 7 7 Levy backed his call to sack Ange Postecoglou - the man who ended the club's 17-year trophy drought - and hailed replacement Thomas Frank as a 'super human-being'. The supremo, 63, declared: 'We've won a European trophy, but it's not enough. It's what we haven't done that's more important. 'We need to win the league. We want to win the Premier League, we want to win the Champions League.' Levy is into his 25th year of running Spurs, having won just two trophies in that time. Postecoglou delivered the most recent of those by beating Manchester United in last month's final in Bilbao, qualifying Spurs for the Champions League. But the Aussie, 59, became the 13th permanent boss to be fired by Levy after a disastrous 17th-placed finish in the Premier League. The club then turned to Brentford chief Frank, 51, who new Spurs CEO Vinai Venkatesham said was 'absolutely the No1' choice out of a list of more than 30 candidates. Speaking in an in-house interview alongside ex-Arsenal supremo Venkatesham, Levy added: 'We want to build on the success of winning a trophy last season. 'One of the things that stood out to me with Thomas is he's clearly highly intelligent, a great communicator, a super human-being, plus all the other technical aspects which are obviously important.' Levy, who has had supporters taking to the streets protesting against his running of the club this season, claimed he had 'very broad shoulders' to deal with criticism and that 'failure is not an option'. Why Thomas Frank is the PERFECT manager for Tottenham He claimed it was not his decision alone to fire Postecoglou and insists he still has an 'excellent relationship' with the ex-Celtic boss. The highest-paid director in the Premier League added: 'I'm very grateful to Ange. I don't regret appointing Ange. 'In his first season we finished fifth. In our second season, we were over the moon to win a trophy. 'But we need to compete in all competitions and we felt we needed to change. 'I've got an excellent relationship with him. I told him, 'You're always going to be part of our history'. Himself and his family are always welcome back. 'It was a collective decision, it wasn't my decision. We do everything together. 'Emotionally it was difficult, but we believe we've made the right decision for the club.' Levy also insisted that any funds brought in by the club's non-football use of the stadium - such as pop concerts, NFL matches and boxing fights, is for reinvesting in the team. He added: 'We're very proud of the stadium, but we need to win on the pitch. There's no point in having a wonderful stadium if you haven't got a wonderful team winning. 'The reason we do all these other events is to provide additional financial resources to the club which in turn, goes back into the team. Everything is about the team, everything.' Meanwhile, it is understood Tottenham are not planning to sell goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario this summer despite suggestions of interest from AC Milan emerging from Italy. 7 7 7
