Sinner bounces back on grass with Halle victory

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner buried his disappointment nine days after an epic Roland Garros finals loss to Carlos Alcaraz, with the Italian winning his first-round opener on Tuesday at the ATP Halle event.

Sinner, defending his German title from a year ago, moved into a second-round challenge against fellow former Halle champion Alexander Bublik after defeating Yannick Hanfmann 7-5, 6-3.

Quirky Kazakh Bublik, known for sneaky underhand serves and an array of deadly drop shots, booked his place on Monday with a win over Alexandre Muller.

Sinner called his match with 2023 tournament champion Bublik “unexpected.””A huge talent, actually, and grass is his favourite surface. “He beat me here in Halle, and he won here in Halle, so it’s for sure a place he loves to play.

“I’m trying to stay calm mentally and trying to see what I can reach. He’s a great talent, a great server and he can do whatever he wants.

“It’s hopefully going to be a good match.”

Sinner leads the series 4-1 with his only loss to Bublik coming two years ago through retirement.

Main photo:- Jannik Sinner winning in Halle – by Terra Worthmann Open