The Japan Times - Sinner crushes Rublev to reach Roland Garros last eight

Russian 17th seed Rublev appeared to pose a tricky test on paper for Sinner, but the world number one instead cantered to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier.

"Things can go very quickly in a bad way, especially best of five, it can go very long," said Sinner.

"I'm very happy to finish it in three. These night sessions in Paris are very special."

The Italian, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May in Rome, will next face unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals.

Sinner holds a 3-1 winning record against Bublik in their head-to-head, but did lose their last meeting in 2023 on grass in Halle.

He is aiming for a third consecutive Grand Slam title in Paris after winning last year's US Open and taking his second successive Australian Open crown in January.

Sinner gained a measure of revenge on Rublev for a last-16 defeat at Roland Garros in 2022, when he had to retire injured in the third set.

He was in clinical form on Monday, firing five aces and 25 winners past a bewildered opponent.

"Inside there's a storm going on but tennis is a very mental game and you don't want to show anything to your opponent," Sinner said of his calm on-court demeanour.

"In my young career, the storm was also outside not only inside."

The 23-year-old, who lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the 2024 semi-finals, saved two break points in the opening game of the match.

But it was all one-way traffic from there as he powered into a 5-0 lead and clinched the opener despite missing one set point for a first-set bagel.

Sinner broke for a 2-1 lead and wrapped up the second set when Rublev dropped serve again.

With the crowd firmly behind him, 10-time Grand Slam quarter-finalist Rublev upped his level in the third set.

But his only break point since the very first game came and went as Sinner remained rock solid on serve, before the top seed took his first match point when a Rublev forehand clipped the net and spun wide.

S.Suzuki--JT