Prossimo articoloDarderi-Jodar: here’s who starts as the favorite

Rome - 13/05

Tie-BreakfastMay 13May 13, 20265 min

Good morning and welcome back to TIE-Breakfast: all the tennis you need with your breakfast.

Ace Cream's daily newsletter during Masters 1000s and Grand Slams, every morning at 8:30.

Today is Wednesday, May 13, in Rome it's 08:30 and it's 17 degrees. Alright, let's go.

On the menu today

🇮🇹 Sinner dispatches Pellegrino 6-2 6-3 and matches Djokovic's record
🇮🇹 Darderi saves four match points against Zverev and reaches his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal
🇮🇹 Musetti goes down to Ruud in two sets, out of the top 10
🇺🇸 Gauff comes back against Andreeva on her fifth match point, semifinal against Cirstea
🇵🇱 Swiatek opens the quarterfinals against Pegula on Centre Court

WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

🇮🇹 Sinner Matches Djokovic On Centre Court

Jannik Sinner beat Andrea Pellegrino 6-2 6-3 in an hour and a half, closing out the Italian derby in the round of 16 without ever giving Pellegrino the sense that he could change the nature of the match. It's his thirty-first consecutive Masters 1000 win, matching Djokovic's streak from 2011. More than the number, what stands out is the cleanness with which he managed a match that, on paper, presented elements of emotional risk: a home opponent, a Centre Court fully behind Pellegrino, a round of 16 that, against a qualifier, was not a foregone conclusion to close quickly. In the quarterfinals he'll face Andrey Rublev, who came back from behind to beat Basilashvili in three sets, but that match is scheduled for tomorrow.

🇮🇹 Darderi, Four Match Points Saved Against Zverev

Luciano Darderi came back to beat Alexander Zverev 1-6 7-6 6-0 on the BNP Paribas Arena, saving four match points on the German's serve in the second set before closing the tiebreak 12-10 and then running away with the third. For Darderi it's the first career win against a top 10 player, and his first Masters 1000 quarterfinal. The feeling, given the sequence of decisive points in the tiebreak, is that at some point Zverev stopped believing in the match more than Darderi convinced himself he could get back into it; the German's comment at the end of the match about the court at the BNP Paribas Arena, which he called "the worst I've ever played on in my career", helps frame his state of mind. In the quarterfinals tonight, he'll face Spain's Rafael Jodar.

🇮🇹 Musetti Stops Against Ruud, Out Of The Top 10

Lorenzo Musetti was eliminated by Casper Ruud 6-3 6-1 in one hour and nineteen minutes, in a match where the thigh problems already seen against Cerundolo came back heavily in the second set, leading to a medical timeout at 4-0. Ruud took advantage of a physical situation that took away Musetti's ability to build long rallies, where the technical gap can narrow. The most immediate consequence, beyond the elimination, is Lorenzo's exit from the top 10 after just over a year there, at a point in the season when clay was the surface to launch his run to Roland Garros. More than the final score, it's the sequence of recent injuries that deserves attention over the next few weeks.

🇺🇸 Gauff Wins A Marathon With Andreeva

Coco Gauff beat Mirra Andreeva 4-6 6-2 6-4 in two hours and twenty, turning the fifth match point into the close of a match that for long stretches had been Andreeva's. The Russian, who won the first set in dominant fashion and had the match in hand in the third, paid the psychological price of the swing that came after the points saved at 0-1 in the second, from which Gauff restarted with the break for 2-0 and a more aggressive tactical plan on the crosscourt backhand. It's a win that says more about Gauff's quality in the decisive moments than about a collapse from Andreeva, even if the figure of the wasted match points will remain in the week's stats. In the semifinals she'll face Sorana Cirstea.

🇷🇺 Medvedev, Khachanov And Jodar Complete The Quarterfinals

Daniil Medvedev took care of Thiago Tirante 6-3 6-2, finding a version of his tennis more in line with his standard, after the difficulties of the previous round with Llamas Ruiz. Karen Khachanov eliminated Dino Prizmic 6-1 7-6, while Rafael Jodar beat Learner Tien 6-1 6-4, confirming a Roman week in which the Spaniard claimed more space than the seeding would have suggested. The ATP quarterfinal picture is now complete: Sinner-Rublev, Medvedev-Landaluce, Ruud-Khachanov and Darderi-Jodar.

WHAT'S HAPPENING TODAY:

🇵🇱 Swiatek vs Pegula - WTA quarterfinal, opening match on Centre Court. Swiatek comes in after two matches closed out without spending energy, Pegula has been more up and down but at this stage of the tournament is one of the most experienced players left in the draw.
🇳🇴 Ruud vs Khachanov - ATP quarterfinal on Centre Court after the women's match. Ruud comes off a convincing afternoon against Musetti, Khachanov handled Prizmic without showing any signs of letdown.
🇺🇦 Svitolina vs Rybakina - WTA quarterfinal in the evening. Rybakina is serving at the level of her first two weeks at Wimbledon, Svitolina is playing one of the best tournaments of her recent comeback.
🇪🇸 Jodar vs Darderi - ATP quarterfinal, BNP Paribas Arena, not before 20:30. For Darderi it's the day after the night with Zverev, for Jodar it's the first Masters 1000 quarterfinal of his career: one of those matches where mental freshness will count more than the ranking.

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Enjoy your breakfast and have a great day.

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