World no. 1 Jannik Sinner is through to his 13th quarter-final from as many tournaments in 2024! The defending champion reached the last eight in Beijing following a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Roman Safiullin in two hours and 21 minutes.
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Like in the first round, the Italian lost the opener before raising his level, dominating sets two and three and remaining on the title course. However, things could be better for the world's best player. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed it filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding the case of Sinner's doping ban.
An independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) previously determined that Sinner bore no fault or negligence after twice testing positive for clostebol, a banned substance, in March this year.
Still, WADA disagrees with the tribunal's decision, asserting that the ruling of "no fault or negligence" was not in line with the applicable regulations.
WADA is seeking Jannik's suspension of one to two years without the disqualification of any additional results beyond those already affected by the initial ruling.
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Sinner commented on the latest twist in his case following his triumph over Safiullin, admitting the WADA decision surprised him after three hearings through the process with the ITAI. The Italian dominated with his first serve against the Russian, while they both struggled behind the second.
Jannik lost serve two times in the opener and pressured his rival in sets two and three. Roman played against 13 break points, defending nine but hitting the exit door after losing serve four times. They hit the same number of service winners, and the Italian tamed his strokes more efficiently, adding 27 winners and 35 unforced errors.
They stayed neck and neck in the mid-range and most extended rallies, and Sinner forged the win in the shortest exchange up to four shots.
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Jannik Sinner defeated Roman Safiullin in the second round in Beijing.
Safiullin held in the first game of the match with a booming serve and secured an early break in game two after the rival's backhand error.
The defending champion pulled the break back in the fifth game after a forced error before playing another loose service game at 2-3, placing a forehand long and getting broken for the second time. The Russian denied three break points in the seventh game to cement the lead and held with a forehand winner at 5-3 to wrap up the set after 47 minutes.
World no. 1 took charge in the second set, serving well and generating chances in all four return games. Roman survived in games two and four before creating a game point at 2-3. Jannik extended the game with a forehand winner and fired another for a break and a 4-2 advantage.
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The Italian grabbed another break in the eighth game with a volley winner, wrapping up the set and forcing a decider after an hour and 32 minutes. Carried by this boost, Sinner secured a break in the second game of the final set with a return winner.
World no. 1 saved two break points in the third game with fine hitting, landing a service winner and opening a 3-0 advantage. Safiullin landed a volley winner in the fourth game, reducing the deficit before his rival clinched the next one with a powerful serve, moving 4-1 up and closer to the finish line.
The Russian saved a break point in the sixth game and held with a backhand winner, remaining within one break deficit. Jannik held at 30 in game seven and served for the win at 5-3. Sinner landed a forehand winner at 15-30 and welcomed Safiullin's forehand error for a match point.
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World no. 1 missed it with a backhand error before creating the second with a forced error. The defending champion sealed the deal with a powerful serve, booking a place in the quarter-final. Jannik will meet the Czech Jiri Lehecka, who defeated a qualifier, Roberto Bautista Agut, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 in an hour and 40 minutes.
The 22-year-old avenged the Davis Cup loss a couple of weeks ago, raising his level after the opening set and sailing over the top. Lehecka served at only 51% and drew the most from that, dropping six points behind the first serve and fending off five of six break points (five in one challenging game), mounting the pressure on the other side.
The Spaniard also faced six break points, giving serve away four times and ending his campaign in the second round. Bautista Agut served well in the opener, producing five holds and taking it 6-3 with a break in game four. Lehecka denied five break points early in the second game and broke his opponent in games four and eight for 6-2, gathering a boost ahead of the decider.
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The Czech served well in the final set, securing breaks in games two and six and sealing the deal on his serve at 5-1, arranging the clash against world no. 1.
