Sinner survives with another comeback in Beijing

Jannik Sinner struggled for a second straight match at the China Open on Saturday, but pulled out of his nosedive to reach the quarter-finals.

The world No. 1  needed to kick his game into gear before finally eliminating Roman Safiullin 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; the Italian had to produce an identical scenario in his opening match to get past Nicolas Jarry 48 hours earlier in Beijing.

Sinner’s survival assured him of reaching at least the last-eight of every event he has played this season.

The winner of two Grand Slams in 2024 dropped serve twice in the opening set against Safiullin but turned the tide to advance in just under two and a half hours.

“It was a tough match. He’s an incredible player and we always have tough battles,” Sinner said.

“He returns very well, and he was serving well at important moments. So I tried to keep up mentally, which today was very tough.”

The world no. 1 added: “Especially on these kinds of days, when maybe you don’t feel at your 100 per cent, to find a way through means so much to me. 

“I knew I had to raise my level when it counted.”

The top seed who is playing his first event since winning the US Open this month began his turnaround with a run of seven consecutive winning games from 2-all in the second and was never threatened after breaking four times.

Sinner won his 57th ATP match of the season and will bid for a semi-final in China against Czech young gun Jiri Lehecka, a winner over Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.