Jannik Sinner was in good form during his Miami Open fourth-round encounter against Christopher O’Connell, dropping just seven games en-route a 6-4, 6-3 win. During the match Sinner even showed an act of compassion to one of the attendees in the stands, which was applauded by the crowd.
There was a brief hold-up after one of the fans fainted and the Italian was quick to react, offering the fan water and a towel. A video of the incident, wherein Sinner can be seen instructing another person courtside to get the water and towel to the distressed fan, has since been shared on social media.
Sinner went on to close out the contest after the match resumed. He dropped his serve only once, but broke his opponent on three occasions over the course of the contest.
"I tried to serve really solid" - Jannik Sinner after beating Christopher O'Connell in Miami 4R
Reflecting on his fourth-round Miami Open win during an interview with ATP.com, Jannik Sinner said the conditions were much more windy than his last match.
The Italian said he paid extra attention towards serving well in the contest, adding that the early break chances gave him the confidence to keep going. He noted that a couple of mistakes from his opponent’s side helped him take control of the encounter.
“Today was much different [than Sunday's match]. Much more windy, so I had to adjust a little bit," Jannik Sinner said. "I had some chances even before I broke him, so I know that I was doing the right things."
"I tried to serve really solid. He made a couple of mistakes in important moments and I think today was the key,” he added.
Sinner also heaped praise on his opponent, saying he played really well. He added that falling behind an early break can make things difficult for any player, and that he was able to successfully dig himself out of the hole.
"He started off really well, I made a couple of mistakes. When you are a break down especially in the beginning, it’s always tough, also mentally,” Jannik Sinner said.
Sinner will next lock horns with Tomas Machac, who reached his maiden Masters 1000 quarterfinal after beating Matteo Arnaldi 6-3, 6-3. The Czech previously beat the likes of Andy Murray and Andrey Rublev in Miami.