Jannik Sinner defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-3, successfully marking his return at the ATP 500 Rotterdam Open after winning the Australian Open.
The top seed appeared in his first match as a Grand Slam champion following his success in Melbourne. Similar to their encounter at the Australian Open, Sinner faced Van de Zandschulp (No. 66) again. The Dutch player hadn't competed since his first-round loss at the Australian Open against Sinner, and fate brought them together once more.
In the first set, Van de Zandschulp was the first to face some break points in the third game, but Sinner couldn't capitalize on them. Demonstrating a strong service game, the Italian maintained parity and secured the crucial break in the fifth game to take the lead in the set.
Sinner controlled the match from his service and only conceded three points on his serve throughout the set. With a 5-3 advantage, he seized the tense moment of his opponent to secure the second break and take the set 6-3.
The start of the second set saw the first challenges for Sinner, who faced three consecutive break points and trailed 0-40 in the first game, the first break points his opponent had. The World No. 4 managed to escape the situation, utilizing an impeccable first serve to prevent the Dutch player from taking the lead.
In the following game, the narrative changed when Sinner seized his first break opportunity to gain a 3-0 lead in a matter of minutes. Without significant changes, they reached 5-2, where Van de Zandschulp needed to hold his serve to stay in the match. He saved two match points against him to bring the score to 5-3.
Nevertheless, it wasn't enough, as Sinner held firm with his serve, ultimately closing out the match 6-3, 6-3. The Italian will face the veteran Frenchman Gael Monfils in the round of 16, who overcame a tough encounter against Denis Shapovalov in the first round (7-6, 7-6).
Sinner d. van de Zandschulp 6-3 6-3 in Rotterdam He’s faced Grand Slam Champions. He’s faced the world #1. He’s faced top 5 players. But the man of the moment remains undefeated in 2024. ✅1st win as a Grand Slam Champion ✅11 match win streak Too hot to handle. 🇮🇹
