Tennis, Sinner beats Wawrinka: he is in the semifinals in Rotterdam

Having overcome the Tsitsipas obstacle, Jannik Sinner is aiming decisively for the final in the ATP 500 tournament in Rotterdam, a prestigious goal that seems within his reach, also in the wake of last Sunday’s success in Montpellier. The South Tyrolean beat the Swiss Stan Wawrinka in straight sets, with a score of 6-1, 6-3, thus gaining access to the semifinals but, above all, reiterating in the game and in the stamina the excellent form that he is crossing.

The 37-year-old ex n.3 in the world, now slipped to n.130 and competing in the Netherlands with a protected ranking, couldn’t do much to keep up with the 21-year-old from Sesto Pusteria, who thus evened the score in direct matches, the last of which, also the one in his favor, dates back to the first round of Wimbledon 2022. The success over the Swiss further improves Sinner’s balance in this start to the season, which now includes thirteen wins and two defeats, the first in the quarterfinals in Adelaide 1 when he was beaten by Korda, and second in the round of 16 at the Australian Open, where he failed to get the better of the Greek Tsitsipas, who then reached the final. A path that has already brought him back close to the top 10.

The match lasted just under 75 minutes. Started well for the South Tyrolean, immediately at the break in the opening game. Wawrinka tried to play on the lines to stem Sinner but his shots often went wide, albeit narrowly, and after making it 2-1 he lost four consecutive games, with a run of 16 points to 2.

The music didn’t change at the start of the second game but Wawrinka then managed to curb the blue’s assault which in the meantime had taken up 3-1. With a run of 8 points to 2 he managed to reach 3 all but there he stopped. Sinner got another break in the eighth game going up 5-3 and in the ninth game, despite the rival’s desperate defense made him the match at the third match point.

The semifinal – the first in Rotterdam where he had reached the quarterfinals at most – will put him in front of the winner of the Dutch derby between the surprise Gijs Brouwer, n.160 in the ranking, and Tallon Griekspoor, n.61 Atp, both in the draw thanks to wildcards. In the other semifinal, the Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, ex world number 3, will meet the Russian Daniil Medvedev (on the field under a neutral flag) who defeated the reigning champion, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-2 6-4. Dimotrov instead prevailed in three sets on the Australian Alex De Minaur.