Jannik Sinner advances to Doha Quarterfinal
Jannik Sinner continued his strong start to the season with a 6-3, 7-5 victory over Alexei Popyrin to secure his first quarterfinal appearance at the Qatar Open Doha.
He has now reached the quarterfinals or better in 28 of his last 30 tournaments, a streak dating back to the 2023 ATP Finals in Turin. The win was also his 12th consecutive victory at the ATP 500 level and his 22nd win in his last 23 matches overall.
Sinner was composed in the opening set, serving efficiently and controlling play from the baseline. The second set proved more demanding as Popyrin increased his intensity, briefly disrupting Sinner’s rhythm. However, at 5–5, the Italian responded decisively, breaking serve before closing out the match.
Afterward, Sinner stressed the importance of focus and respect for every opponent.
“I just try to do my best. I respect every player. But I try to play my best tennis always if I can,” he said. “I know the ranking at the end of the day is just a number. I feel like everyone is playing high intensity and high quality.”
Reflecting on the turning point late in the second set, Sinner acknowledged the challenge before finding a way through.
“I lost the rhythm a bit and the confidence, but this can happen. I just tried to dig deep. Especially at 5–all,” he explained. “You have to find different ways to win matches. Every day is different.”
