US Open: Sinner too strong for Wawrinka, beats the Swiss in four to make last 16

Jannik Sinner has made the last 16 of the US Open for a second successive year, defeating Stan Wawrinka 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

While nothing spectacular, this was a solid display from the Italian who will be relieved to come through this encounter unscathed against an opponent who remains hugely dangerous.

A three-time Grand Slam champion – and US Open winner in 2016 – Wawrinka showed flashes of his brilliance, particularly when he got his trademark one-handed backhand firing, a shot that, when on point, remains one of the most potent in the sport.

But the flashes of vintage Stan were too sporadic to cause a player of Jannik Sinner’s calibre any serious problems, with the Italian taking full advantage of the ebbs and flows to edge past a true great of the game.

An intriguing encounter that never quite caught fire

The first set began simply enough for the world No 6, breaking Wawrinka with one of only two break points generated in the set to take the lead.

It looked as though it could be a long and complicated afternoon for Sinner in the second set, however, as Wawrinka’s power and depth found enough consistency to start puncturing holes in the 22-year-old’s defence.

He broke Sinner twice without reply in a one-sided set that set up the prospect of a classic inter-generational clash.

But Sinner was not in the mood. It is testament to the young man’s temperament that he was able to shake off the disappointment of the second set so rapidly and regroup to produce some of his best tennis during the crux of the match.

The Italian struck first with a break in the third game of the third set following a loose service game from Wawrinka.

The Swiss broke back in the eighth game to restore parity at four games apiece. But Sinner ensured there would be no perils of a third-set tiebreak as he hit straight back, with Wawrinka failing to consolidate his breakthrough in a pivotal moment in the contest.

Sinner served out the third with little trouble and then dominated the fourth and final set, breaking his opponent twice to wrap up a fine win and move into the second week at Flushing Meadows for the second year in a row.

Jannik Sinner marches on

The last time the pair met at the US Open was in 2019, when an 18-year-old Sinner – only just starting to gain the attention of the tennis world – lost to the Swiss in the opening round on Arthur Ashe stadium.

The progress that this young talent has made in the intervening years is very evident.

“Obviously, in four year a couple of things have changed,” Sinner said in his on-court interview following the win.

“I am happy about my performance today. I felt like I wasn’t playing at my best, as he wasn’t playing at his best.

“But I think that in the key moments I handled it in a better way than him, and obviously very happy to be in the next round.”

Sinner’s next match does not get any easier, as he will play either Alexander Zverev or Grigor Dimitrov for a place in the coveted last eight of the US Open.

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New York (Grand Slam), other third-round results (USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, hard, USD 44.700.000, most recent results first):

• Daniil Medvedev vs. Sebastian Baez
• Alexander Zverev vs. Grigor Dimitrov
• Nicolas Jarry vs. Alex De Minaur: saturday
• Andrey Rublev (8) beat Arthur Rinderknech: 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, 7-5
• Matteo Arnaldi beat Cameron Norrie (16): 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
• Carlos Alcaraz (1) beat Daniel Evans (26): 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
• Jack Draper beat Michael Mmoh (WC): 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
• Novak Djokovic (2) beat Laslo Djere (32): 4-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3
• Borna Gojo (Q) beat Jiri Vesely: 6-4, 6-3, 6-2
• Taylor Fritz (9) beat Jakub Mensik (Q): 6-1, 6-2, 6-0
• Dominic Stricker (Q) beat Benjamin Bonzi (WC): 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-2
• Rinky Hijikata (WC) beat Zhizhen Zhang: 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
• Frances Tiafoe (10) beat Adrian Mannarino (22): 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 7-6 (6)
• Ben Shelton beat Aslan Karatsev: 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0
• Tommy Paul (14) beat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21): 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3