Italian Jannik Sinner maintained his perfect tour-level record against countrymen on Wednesday when he moved past Matteo Berrettini 6-4, 6-3 at the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers.
The 21-year-old Sinner outmanoeuvred the Italian with his destructive ball striking, gaining the decisive break of the first set in the 10th game before he raced through the second set to advance after one hour and 32 minutes in Toronto.
“It was a very tough match playing against Matteo as we know each other very well. I just tried to play my tennis but it’s tough because there’s not a lot of rhythm because he serves so well,” Sinner said. “Every break point in his service games is important and I managed to win some somehow.
“The second set was 6-3 but I was under pressure a couple of times at 0/30 and I tried to serve it out somehow. It was not an easy first match.”
Sinner holds a 9-0 tour-level record against Italians, with Wednesday’s victory his first against Berrettini. The seventh seed will play former World No. 1 Andy Murray or Max Purcell in the third round.
Sinner, who won 83 per cent (34/41) of his first-serve points and saved all seven break points he faced against Berrettini, is competing for the first time since he reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon last month. He is chasing his second tour-level title of the season, having triumphed in Montpellier.
The World No. 8 has enjoyed impressive results at ATP Masters 1000 events this season, advancing to the final in Miami and the semi-finals in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo. Currently sixth in the Pepperstone ATP Live Race to Turin, Sinner can boost his Nitto ATP Finals hopes by lifting his maiden Masters 1000 trophy in Toronto.
Sinner will next face former World No. 1 Andy Murray, who toiled for two hours and 47 minutes to see off Australian Max Purcell 7-6(2), 3-6, 7-5 to reach the third round. Murray and Sinner have split their two Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings (both on hard court).
Murray, 36, this week has moved to No. 36 in the Pepperstone Live ATP Rankings, his highest mark since he was No. 29 in April 2018.