USA Today via Reuters
Mar 31, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after match point against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan (not pictured) in a men’s singles quarterfinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
USA Today via Reuters
Mar 31, 2021; Miami, Florida, USA; Jannik Sinner of Italy celebrates after match point against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan (not pictured) in a men’s singles quarterfinal in the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner handed a third straight defeat to Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in three separate Tour events this year. The 7-6 (11-9), 6-2 win on Thursday took the current World No. 19 to the quarter-final of the ongoing Barcelona Open.
Jannik Sinner’s win over Roberto Bautista Agut at Barcelona was his third this year after Dubai and Miami
Sinner’s win on Thursday followed up on previous victories in the semifinals of the Miami Open and the pre-quarters in Dubai.
The victory got him into an elite company as he became only the fourth player in the contemporary men’s field to notch up three straight wins over Agut. The other men to have posted three or more wins over Agut are Roger Federer, Milos Raonic, and Rafael Nadal.
Reuters
Tennis – ATP Cup – Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, February 6, 2021 Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut in action during his semi final match against Italy’s Matteo Berrettini REUTERS/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake
The Swiss champion has a 9-0 unbeaten record over the Spaniard, while his Big 3 peer, who is currently level with him at 20 Grand Slam titles each, holds a 3-0 head-to-head over him. Raonic, the giant Canadian, also notched up five straight wins over Agut and is yet to taste defeat against him.
Undefeated players with 3+ wins over Bautista Agut
Federer 9-0
Raonic 5-0
Nadal 3-0
Sinner 3-0 https://t.co/AvpD4BGe6r— enrico maria riva (@enricomariariva) April 22, 2021
The pre-quarters tie was in the balance when the opening set headed for a tie-break. There wasn’t much to separate the two players in the tie-break either, and it was eventually decided 11-9 in the Italian’s favor.
Jannik Sinner and his ruthless tennis were too hot for Roberto Bautista Agut to handle
The second set was more of a breeze for Sinner as he raced to a win. What stood in the Italian’s game on the day was how he pushed the experienced Spaniard further back on the baseline with heavy groundstrokes and made repeated forays to the net to close out points.
There was an element of ruthlessness in Sinner’s game as well; the moment he sensed an opportunity, he went for the kill. It was unlike his win in Miami, where he fought back from a set down to send the Spaniard crashing out of the tournament.
In Dubai, too, the match went the full distance. Sinner took the opening set only for the Spaniard to come roaring back into the contest by winning the second. With all to play for in the decider, it was the Italian who edged out Agut with a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships quarter-finals.
Read More: “Novak Was Kind”: Jannik Sinner Thanks Novak Djokovic for Giving Tips After Monte-Carlo Masters Loss
