Sinner Battles Through to Beijing Quarter-Finals with Atmane Win
De Minaur edges Rinderknech in a thrilling third-set tie-break
September 27, 2025
Image Credit: Getty Images
Jannik Sinner showcasing his skills on Saturday in Beijing, where he secured the title in 2023.
By Sam Jacot
In a thrilling encounter at the China Open, Jannik Sinner triumphed over Terence Atmane, clinching a 6-4, 5-7, 6-0 victory despite a mid-match challenge. The match tested Sinner’s resolve, pushing him to secure his place in the quarter-finals.
Having bested Atmane with relative ease in Cincinnati’s semi-finals last month, Sinner was caught off-guard by the French qualifier’s tenacity during this second-round clash at the ATP 500 event in Beijing.
After a closely fought first set, Atmane displayed remarkable skill, breaking Sinner’s serve three times in the second set to level the match. The World No. 2 had to dig deep, ultimately harnessing his aggression to dominate in the final set, completing the match in just over two hours.
“His unique left-handed style and improved game made it a tough match,” Sinner remarked. “While I had leads in the second, I struggled to maintain my focus. I’m thrilled to be advancing.”
The former champion in Beijing, Sinner faced Marin Cilic in his previous match—the first since his defeat against Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open final. While he lost his No. 1 ranking post the defeat, he remains determined to close the gap on Alcaraz, trailing by 2,590 points in the ongoing race for Year-End No. 1 glory.
Sinner boasts an incredible record of 61 consecutive victories on hard courts against players ranked outside the Top 10, and he’ll aim to continue that streak against World No. 57 Fabian Marozsan, who reached the quarter-finals after overcoming Alexandre Muller 6-3, 7-6(5).
In other news, Alex de Minaur fought hard to defeat Arthur Rinderknech 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2), securing his place in the last eight in Beijing. This victory marks De Minaur’s Tour-leading 33 hard-court wins this year.
The Australian, who claimed the ATP 500 title in Washington this July, currently holds the eighth spot in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, vying for qualification to the Nitto ATP Finals for the second consecutive year. He will next face seventh seed Jakub Mensik following the Czech’s victory over Arthur Cazaux.
Mensik, who recently captured the ATP Masters 1000 title in Miami, stands at 17th in the Live Race To Turin and has an outside chance of joining the prestigious Nitto ATP Finals from November 9-16.
