Jannik Sinner in action during his round of 32 match against Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac REUTERS
DOHA:
In his first match since losing an epic semifinal at the Australian Open late last month, second-seeded Jannik Sinner dumped Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4 in the first round of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open on Monday in Doha.
Sinner was the two-time defending Australian Open champion before he fell 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Novak Djokovic in Melbourne. The Italian had no such difficulties on Monday, never facing a break point and committing just nine unforced errors.
Fourth-seeded Daniil Medvedev of Russia, the 2023 Doha champion, also posted a comfortable first-round result, a 6-4, 6-2 victory over China’s Juncheng Shang.
Sixth-seeded Jakub Mensik of the Czech Republic beat British qualifier Jan Choinski 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-4. Australia’s Alexei Popyrin and France’s Arthur Fils and Valentin Royer also advanced.
Delray Beach Open
Alex Michelsen won 86% of his service points en route to a 7-6 (4), 6-4 victory over sixth-seeded Valentin Vacherot of Monaco in the first round at Delray Beach, Fla.
Michelsen never ceded a break point and was particularly effective when putting his first serve in play, winning 92.3% of the points (36 of 39).
Eighth-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the U.S., the 2018 Delray Beach champ, pushed past Australian qualifier Rinky Hijikata 6-4, 6-4, and the United States’ Marcos Giron knocked out Japanese qualifier Sho Shimabukuro 6-3, 7-5. France’s Terence Atmane and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong also won their openers.
Rio Open
All three Brazilians in action fell in the first round at Rio de Janeiro.
Peru’s Ignacio Buse rallied past Brazilian qualifier Igor Marcondes 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. The Czech Republic’s Vit Kopriva defeated Gustavo Heide 6-2, 7-6 (5), and Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann beat Joao Lucas Reis Da Silva 7-6 (3), 6-4.
The only seeded player to hit the court on Monday, seventh-seeded Daniel Altmaier of Germany, lost 6-4, 7-6 (7) to Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic, a lucky loser from qualifying.
Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo and Argentina’s Thiago Agustin Tirante moved on with straight-set wins.
Gauff speaks out
Coco Gauff said at a press conference Sunday at the Dubai Tennis Championships that she’s “proud to be an American” while also denouncing the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis last month.
“Everything going on in the U.S. — obviously I’m not really for it. I don’t think people should be dying in the streets just for existing. I don’t like what’s going on,” Gauff said.
Gauff, 21, a two-time Grand Slam champion, is the latest in a growing list of American athletes who have voiced their displeasure with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who were responsible for the deaths of Good and Pretti.
Winter Olympian Hunter Hess told reporters on Feb. 6, “Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.” That drew a reaction from President Donald Trump, who called Hess a “real Loser” on his Truth Social platform.
Madison Keys, who is ranked No. 17 on the WTA circuit and fourth among American women, also weighed in on the subject.
“I am hopeful that we as a country can come together and get back to the values that I think make our country great,” Keys said. “We are very diverse. We are a home of immigrants. and I hope that we can get back to those values.” Reuters
