2024-08-06 03:12:39
MONTREAL. Recovered from the tonsillitis that deprived him of the Olympics, Jannik Sinner is preparing to return to the court in the Canadian Open, to defend the title that belongs to him on the hard courts of the IGA Stadium in Montreal.
Last year, but in Toronto, he won his first “1000”. A month after the defeat in five sets in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, against the Russian Daniil Medvedevwill be on the field directly in the second round, against the Spaniard Pedro Martinezn. 45 ATP, or a qualifier. In doubles Sinner will have the British player next to him Jack Draper: the two face the Belgians in the first round Sander Gille and Joran Vliegen.
The regret for not having participated in the Games is still very much alive in the world number 1, as demonstrated by the words spoken to Ubitennis: “I had the chance to watch a few matches but I didn’t watch much tennis. It broke my heart not to be able to go to Paris, it was one of the main goals of my season.”
In Canada, the numbers 2 and 3 in the ranking will be missing, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz – protagonists of the Olympic final – but the program is still of the highest level thanks to the presence of champions such as Alexander Zverev, Daniil Medvedev and Hubert Hurkacz. Andrey Rublev, Casper Ruud, Grigor Dimitrov and Stefanos Tsitsipas complete the contingent of players who will benefit from a first-round bye.
Net of surprises always lurking, the possible pairings in the quarterfinals are Sinner-Rublev, Medvedev-Tsitsipas, Dimitrov-Hurkacz and Zverev-Ruud. But Tommy Paul on Sinner’s side, Ben Shelton on Dimitrov’s side and Holger Rune on Zverev’s side could ruin these predictions. Sinner leads a patrol of five Italians.
Absent Lorenzo Musettion a break after winning the bronze at the Games, Lorenzo Sonego, ranked no. 57, faced Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor (no. 40) in the first round, having been beaten in their only previous encounter, the 2022 Paris-Bercy qualifiers.
Not very lucky Luciano Darderi (ranked no. 32, his best placing just this week), who will face the American Tommy Paul (n.12) and tenth seed. Debut against a qualifier for Matteo Arnaldi (n.46). Finally Flavio Cobolli: the 22-year-old Roman (n.33) will face in the first round the “home favorite”, the Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime (n.19), 14th seed, fresh from the Olympic efforts (bronze in the mixed and defeated in the singles final by Musetti), already beaten in three sets this year in the ‘500’ of Acapulco.
2024-08-06 03:12:39