Jannik Sinner earned his first victory over former World No. 1 Andy Murray on Wednesday at the Dubai Duty Free Championships, overcoming the Scot 7-5, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
Sinner barely survived a first-round encounter with Alejandro Davidovich Fokina having to save several match points but the Italian did not have those issues against Murray. After the match, Sinner expressed satisfaction about being able to share the court with Murray:
“It is a special feeling [to share the court with Murray]. He is a legend. Winning three Grand Slams, many, many tournaments and he has had some unfortunate moments with surgeries. His fighting spirit is incredible.”
Sinner admitted there were some nerves Murray bested Sinner the last time they played:
“There were some nerves. I lost my last match against him. I tried to stay focused about my game and it worked. Thanks for the support as always. I think I played well, especially in the first set when it was tight in some moments.”