Ice-cool Sinner freezes out Zverev

Italian teenager Jannik Sinner never lost his cool as he became the first debutant to reach the French Open quarterfinals since Rafael Nadal in 2005 with a 6-3 6-3 4-6 6-3 victory against German sixth-seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday.

The 19-year-old, who will also be the youngest male player since Novak Djokovic in 2006 to feature in the last eight at Roland Garros, will face 12times champion Nadal for a place in the semifinals.

Nadal blew away American qualifier Sebastian Korda 6-1 6-1 6-2 to romp into the quarters and close in on a record-extending 13th title at Roland Garros.

Sinner dropped a set for the first time in the tournament but he continued to take the ball early, making his 23-year-old opponent look old at times.

Sinner ended it with a booming forehand that Zverev could only return into the net.

“It ’ s a best-of-five sets match, it ’ s a bit different. Even if you lose a set you just try to keep going,” said Sinner, who has only gone the distance once in his young career, losing to Russian Karen Khachanov in the first round of this year’s US Open.

“I knew I was playing quite well even in the third set. In the fourth I tried to be focused on the first game and it went quite well.”

A coughing Zverev had the doctor and the trainer on court, showing them his throat and sending them away.

At the following change of sides, the German again had them at his side and took a pill, being told by the doctor to take another one half an hour later.

Sinner saved two break points at 5-3 and Zverev grew frustrated when the Italian set up a first set point, then another. He bagged the opening set on his third attempt with a winner.

Sinner continued to play better on the important points and a couple of breaks earned him the second set on his opponent’s serve with Zverev appearing to be bothered by gusts of wind.

Zverev broke for the first time in the first game of the third set but that did not bother Sinner, who broke back for 4-4.

But a double fault gave Zverev the decisive break for 5-4, the German then serving it out, albeit on his sixth opportunity.

Sinner look undeterred and stole Zverev’s first service game, holding serve throughout for a resounding victory — his first on a top-10 opponent at a Major, on his first attempt.