Sinner, Fritz advance in Cincinnati amid fire alarm and power outage chaos

Cincinnati, Aug 12 (IANS) World No. 1 Jannik Sinner saved a set point to beat Gabriel Diallo 6-2, 7-6(6) and advanced to the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open.

Play was halted in the second game of the second set in his third-round match with Gabriel Diallo when a fire alarm in the 1899 club grandstand began to sound.

After a delay of several minutes, the players agreed to play through the sound and flashes, playing four points before the alarm ended, ATP reports.

Sinner ultimately closed out the match after saving a set point with a clutch forehand service return in the tie-break.

Sinner is on a 22-match hard-court winning streak since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final in October. He next plays the winner of Tommy Paul and Adrian Mannarino.

Playing his first tournament since winning his first Wimbledon title, Sinner is 27-3 on the season, according to ATP Stats. Just 10 wins away from 300 career wins, Sinner earlier in the tournament became the second player to qualify for November's ATP Finals, where he will be the defending champion.

The start of Sinner’s evening match had been delayed by a late finish to Taylor Fritz’s match with Lorenzo Sonego, which endured a 75-minute delay when the venue lost power.

The 27-year-old Fritz, who lost to Ben Shelton in straight sets in Canada last week, moved past the Italian 7-6(4), 7-5 in two hours and eight minutes, without facing a break point.

After winning a 67-minute opening set, play was suspended for about 75 minutes. Upon resumption, the second set went on serve until 5-all when Sonego missed five first serves to give Fritz the break point he needed. The American then held to love to close out his 38th tour-level victory of the season.

Chasing his first Masters 1000 crown of the season and second overall, the former Indian Wells champ will meet Brazilian Joao Fonseca or Frenchman Terence Atmane in the fourth round.

Fritz is the first American to be among the top four seeds in Cincinnati since Andy Roddick in 2007.

--IANS

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