Doha : World number two Jannik Sinner advanced to the quarter-finals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open with a straight-sets victory over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin on Wednesday.
Competing at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, the 24-year-old Italian sealed a 6-3 7-5 second-round win at the ATP 500 event.
Sinner, a 24-time career title-holder including four Grand Slam crowns, dictated much of the contest but was pushed in the second set before wrapping up the match in one hour and 36 minutes.
Fifth seed and defending champion Andrey Rublev progressed with a 6-2 6-4 victory over Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan.
Seventh seed Karen Khachanov, the 2024 champion, moved on after defeating Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics 6-2 4-6 6-4.
However, fourth seed Daniil Medvedev, who lifted the 2023 title, was knocked out following a 6-3 6-4 loss to Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Czech sixth seed Jakub Mensik advanced with a 6-3 6-2 win over China’s Zhang Zhizhen and was joined in the last eight by compatriot Jiri Lehecka, the eighth seed, who eased past Belgium’s Zizou Bergs 6-2 6-1.
France’s Arthur Fils also reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1 7-6 win over fellow Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Later on Wednesday, world number one and top seed Carlos Alcaraz was scheduled to face France’s Valentin Royer, ranked 60th in the world, for the final quarter-final berth.
