Jannik Sinner continued his defence of the Canadian Open by coasting past Alejandro Tabilo to reach the quarter-finals in Montreal where he faces Andrey Rublev later on Saturday.
Italian world No 1 Sinner has shown little sign of any lingering issues after missing the Paris Olympics with tonsillitis.
Sinner, who withdrew from the doubles he had been playing in alongside Britain’s Jack Draper, built from a slow start to break the Chilean early in the second set and progress 6-4 6-3 in one hour and 21 minutes.
Sinner will next face fifth seed Andrey Rublev, who dispatched American Brandon Nakashima 6-2 6-2, with their match set to take place later on Saturday as a result of Friday’s rain delay.
“Tricky opponent, tricky conditions,” Sinner said. “It is difficult playing against this type of player. Huge lefty, big potential.
“I had to be very careful, looking a lot to make the game. It felt like a good match. I know in my mind I have to play one more time [today], so there is not much time to be happy and recover.
“If I want to play the second match today, I had to win the first one. So if it took three or four hours, it takes that long. It will be a tough match against Andrey. He played great today.”
Sinner leads Rublev 5-2 in their meetings, having defeated the fifth seed en route to the Australian Open title in January.
Victory also ensured Sinner became the first player to qualify for the year-end Nitto ATP Finals in Turin.
Meanwhile, Kei Nishikori reached his first ATP Masters 1000 quarter-final since Rome in 2019 after beating Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-3 6-4 and will play Matteo Arnaldi after his opponent, Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, withdrew through injury.
Sebastian Korda upset fellow American Taylor Fritz 6-4 7-6 (7-4), while fourth seed Hubert Hurkacz came from behind to defeat Thanasi Kokkinakis 4-6 6-3 7-6 (8-6).
In Toronto, Emma Navarro notched a 6-3 7-6 (7-5) victory over lucky loser Taylor Townsend in an all-American quarter-final at the National Bank Open.
With the win, 23-year-old Navarro moved into the first WTA 1000 semi-final of her career.
What’s coming up on Sky Sports Tennis?
In the run-up to the final Grand Slam of 2024 – the US Open – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the hard-court season.
- National Bank Open, Montreal (ATP 1000) – 6-12 August
- National Bank Open, Toronto (WTA 1000) – 6-12 August
- Cincinnati Open (ATP 1000) – 12-19 August
- Cincinnati Open (WTA 1000) – 13-19 August
- Winston-Salem Open (ATP 250) – 18-24 August
- Tennis in the Land, Cleveland (WTA 250) – 18-24 August
- Abierto GNP Seguros, Monterrey (WTA 500) – 19-24 August
- US Open (ATP/WTA) – 26 August – 8 September
Watch the WTA and ATP Tours throughout 2024 on Sky Sports Tennis. Stream Sky Sports Tennis and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership. No contract, cancel anytime.