Italian Open: Stefanos Tsitsipas set for quarter-final date with Jannik Sinner

ATP Tour

Stefanos Tsitsipas overcame Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-0, 6-3 in a comeback victory that saw him set up a quarter-final date with Jannik Sinner.

The fourth seed admitted that he had to find another level to his game to get the result.

Tsitsipas has improved his perfect head to head record against Khachanov to 5-0.

“It was a great, great match. I really upgraded my game in the second set,” Tsitsipas said in his on-court interview. “I was really able to follow through after every shot. I loosened up a little bit and concentrated on depth a little bit more.

“I hit great serves towards the end of the third set. I was able to stay calm on each serve and I was not rushing. I tried to visualise my patterns and it was a great last game.”

Tsitsipas has had to battle to make progress in Rome, enduring three-setters in consecutive matches en route to the last eight.

“It hasn’t been easy the past two matches, but as long as I find my way, that is what matters the most,” Tsitsipas added.

Tsitsipas now sports an 11-2 record on clay in 2022, having reached the semi-finals in Madrid last week and retained his Monte Carlo Masters title.

Sinner made his victory over Filip Krajinovic on Thursday a little tougher than it needed to be as he won a second set tiebreaker to secure passage to the last eight.

The home hope heads into a quarter-final matchup against Tsitsipas that will be the pair’s fifth meeting, with the Greek leading the head to head 3-1.

Cristian Garin will meet second seed Alexander Zverev in Friday’s first men’s singles quarter-final, at the Grandstand Arena.

Garin downed Marin Cilic in another three-set battle on Thursday afternoon.

Zverev battled past Alex de Minaur 6-3, 7-6 to be the first man to book his place in the last eight in Rome.

Fifth seed Casper Ruud also came through his first encounter with rising American Jenson Brooksby, securing a place in the quarter-finals where he will meet either Rafael Nadal or Denis Shapovalov.

Sinner and Tsitsipas will take to centre court after the women’s singles quarter-final match between Aryna Sabalenka and Amanda Anisimova.

Jannik Sinner Stefanos Tsitsipas

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