Sinner downs Zverev to set Nadal clash
Italian teenager Jannik Sinner became the first debutant to reach the French Open quarter-finals since Rafael Nadal in 2005 when he downed German sixth seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday.
The 19-year-old, who will also be the youngest male player since Novak Djokovic in 2006 to feature in the last eight at Roland Garros, will face 12-times champion Nadal for a place in the semifinals.
The South Tyrolian, winner of last year's NextGen ATP Finals, dropped a set for the first time in the tournament but he never lost his composure. Sinner ended it on a windswept Court Suzanne Lenglen with a booming forehand that Zverev could only return into the net.
Frenchman Hugo Gaston, who plays later on Sunday, and German Daniel Altmaier, on court on Monday, are other debutants looking to reach the last eight in Paris.
Earlier in the day, Nadal blew away American qualifer Sebastian Korda 6-1, 6-1, 6-2 and close in on a record-extending 13th title. It always looked like mission impossible for the 213th-ranked Korda and so it proved in a one-sided fourth round match.
Comments