An overhead in tennis normally means being lobbed but it was a different aerial intervention that troubled Alex de Minaur in Rome.
The Australian No 1 was progressing well towards the last 16 despite the distraction of an unwell spectator when his match with Bolivian qualifier Hugo Dellien was interrupted by a flypast by the Italian Air Force’s acrobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori (Tricolour arrows).
The seventh-seeded De Minaur lost focus, and his serve, before getting back on track to win 6-4, 6-4.
“I didn’t handle it very well, because I got broken straight away,” said De Minaur who now plays 12th-seeded American Tommy Paul. “I did well to bounce back and get the break back, but I’ve got to be a little bit better mentally to not let those things, outside factors affect me.”
Also seeking to regain focus is Jannik Sinner, who is making his comeback after his controversial three-month doping ban.
The world No 1 overcame a brief lapse during the first set of a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Dutch qualifier Jesper de Jong in his second match back on tour in front of his home crowd.
Just like in his opening win over Mariano Navone on Saturday, the fans at the Foro Italico were fully behind Sinner – Italy’s first No 1.
“It’s good to have him back,” De Minaur’s next opponent Paul said of Sinner, after beating Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4. “He’s such a big figure in the sport. He sets the bar right now.”
The last Italian man to win in Rome was Adriano Panatta in 1976.
after newsletter promotion
In the women’s event Coco Gauff outclassed Emma Raducanu 6-1, 6-2 to move into the quarter-finals where she will face Russian seventh seed Mirra Andreeva.
World No1 Aryna Sabalenka beat Marta Kostyuk 6-1, 7-6 (10-8). She next encounters eighth seed Qinwen Zheng who beat Bianca Andreescu 7-5, 6-1.
American Peyton Stearns ended Naomi Osaka’s eight-match winning streak with a 6-4 3-6, 7-6 (7-4) win and home favourite Jasmine Paolini beat Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-2.
Source: theguardian.com
