Sinner surges to swift victory in Vienna opener
Emerging from a Shanghai stumble, Jannik Sinner unleashes his indoor prowess at the Erste Bank Open, crushing Daniel Altmaier in a 58-minute statement that sharpens his focus for the late-season grind.
In the resonant buzz of Vienna‘s Stadthalle, Jannik Sinner ignited his Erste Bank Open campaign with a commanding display that silenced any lingering doubts from his recent hiatus. The top seed, returning as the 2023 champion, dismantled Daniel Altmaier 6-0, 6-2 in just 58 minutes, his heavy groundstrokes carving through the indoor hardcourt’s swift pace like a well-oiled machine rediscovering its rhythm. This rout, his fastest of 2025, extended Sinner’s winning streak on the surface to 17 matches, a testament to his affinity for the low-bouncing deck where precision trumps power alone.
Rebounding with tactical precision
Fresh off a third-round retirement in Shanghai that halted his title defense, Sinner channeled that frustration into focused aggression, leaning on one–two combinations of serve and inside-out forehand to pin Altmaier deep from the baseline. The 24-year-old Italian’s 19 winners against seven unforced errors showcased clean execution, as he varied his backhand slice to disrupt returns before accelerating crosscourt for points. Never facing a break point, he forced Altmaier into hurried defenses that crumbled under the relentless tempo, the crowd’s growing energy feeding off each decisive rally.
A mid-first-set flick shot—a improvised backhand that whipped down-the-line past a stretching opponent—drew gasps and applause, encapsulating Sinner‘s blend of flair and control on this unforgiving surface.
Cheat codes unlocked @janniksin pulls off a flick shot you’ll need to see to believe!@ErsteBankOpen | #ErsteBankOpen pic.twitter.com/8DP2BfJChf
— ATP Tour (@atptour) October 22, 2025
“I feel like in the first set everything was working very well,” said Sinner. “On indoor courts, you have to be very careful. If your opponent starts to serve well, it’s very difficult to break. But I’m very happy about today’s performance, starting the tournament in a very positive way, not only gamewise but feeling wise.”
Streaks fuel Italian showdown
Improving to 29-0 in opening rounds since Cincinnati in 2023, Sinner’s efficiency edges out his prior quickest win, a 59-minute dismissal of Daniel Elahi Galan earlier this season. This streak highlights his mental edge in high-stakes starts, where the psychological weight of expectations meets the tactical demands of quick points. Next, he faces countryman Flavio Cobolli, who edged Tomas Machac 7-6(6), 6-2, setting up an all-Italian clash that could test Sinner’s serve against Cobolli’s rising net game amid the tournament’s echoing serves and fervent support.
Rivals chase Turin momentum
Across the draw, Daniil Medvedev battled back from two lost match points in a second-set tiebreak to defeat Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-7(7), 6-2, bolstering his 13th-place position in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin for the Nitto ATP Finals. The 2022 Vienna champion regrouped with deep crosscourt backhands that stretched the court, his resolve turning frustration into a third-set break that keeps his late push alive. Awaiting him is a rematch of last week’s Almaty final against Corentin Moutet, who breezed past qualifier Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-0, where Moutet’s underspin and drop shots might probe Medvedev’s flat trajectories on the fast indoor hard.
Matteo Berrettini, the 2019 Vienna semifinalist, opened center court with a 7-6(5), 6-3 grind over Alexei Popyrin, his booming serve anchoring a tiebreak before a second-set surge. Leading Cameron Norrie 2-0 in their head-to-head, Berrettini eyes a fourth straight quarterfinal here, pitting his power against the Brit’s counterpunching in a matchup that echoes the surface’s demand for error-free aggression. As Sinner savors this reset, the Erste Bank Open pulses with players balancing fatigue and fire, each win a step toward Turin’s decisive battles where mental poise could eclipse even the sharpest strokes.
