#NextGenATP Star Sinner Off To Fast Start In 2021
#NextGenATP star Jannik Sinner finished his 2020 season with a bang, and he picked up where he left off in his first match of 2021 on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old Italian beat Australian Aleksandar Vukic 6-2, 6-4 in 67 minutes to reach the Round of 16 at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne. It was his first match since claiming his maiden ATP Tour title at last November’s Sofia Open in Bulgaria.
[WATCH LIVE 2]Sinner did not face a break point against the home favourite, winning an impressive 75 per cent of his second-serve points. The fourth seed will next play 13th seed Aljaz Bedene, who eliminated wild card Dane Sweeny 6-0, 6-4, for a spot in the quarter-finals.
The 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals champion is at a career-high No. 36 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, and he is the youngest player in the Top 100. He will have a chance to earn revenge against Bedene, who beat him in Umag two years ago.
Third seed Hubert Hurkacz continued his hot start to the season with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Mikael Torpegaard of Denmark.
The Polish No. 1, who started 2021 with a title at the Delray Beach Open by VITACOST.com, won 31 of his 32 first-serve points to triumph in 68 minutes. The third seed will next play Pablo Cuevas or Robin Haase.
In other action, Italian Salvatore Caruso upset ninth seed Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-1. The World No. 76 saved eight of the 10 break points he faced.