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Match details
Fixture: (2) Jannik Sinner vs Christopher O'Connell
Tournament: Truist Atlanta Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Atlanta, United States
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Outdoor hard
Prize money: $555,995
Live telecast: USA - ESPN & Tennis Channel
Jannik Sinner vs Christopher O'Connell preview
Italian sensation Jannik Sinner will begin his 2021 Atlanta Open campaign against Australian Christopher O'Connell in the second round.
Sinner will be seen in singles action for the first time since his opening-round loss to Marton Fucsovics at Wimbledon. The defeat at SW19 followed a first-round loss to Jack Draper at the Queen's Club Championships.
Thus, Sinner will be looking to regain his form on a surface where he has achieved tremendous success this year. The 19-year-old won the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne at the start of the season and finished runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz in the Miami Masters.
Even though Sinner comes into the Atlanta Open on a three-match losing streak, he can take solace from the fact that he has won 24 tour-level matches already in 2021.
With the Race to Turin heating up, the Italian will be looking to make the most of every opportunity he gets, beginning with the Atlanta Open. Sinner is currently placed 13th in the Race and is 670 points behind eighth-placed Hubert Hurkacz.
Meanwhile, Christopher O'Connell booked his spot in the second round with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over American Denis Kudla on Tuesday.
The Aussie rained down a whopping 19 aces and won 88% of his first-serve points. O'Connell lost his serve just once in the match, apart from which he was hardly tested.
Jannik Sinner vs Christopher O'Connell head-to-head
Jannik Sinner and Christopher O'Connell will be facing each other for the first time, so their head-to-head stands at 0-0.
Jannik Sinner vs Christopher O'Connell prediction
Christopher O'Connell's first serve is quite lethal, but his second serve leaves a lot to be desired. Jannik Sinner should be able to make inroads into the Australian's service games, considering the depth and topspin he can generate on his returns.
The Italian will look to target the Aussie's single-handed backhand and pin him into that corner, opening up the rest of the court.
But Sinner's serve has also proven to be quite problematic this year. The teenager struggles to land a high percentage of first serves and that gets him into trouble quite often. O'Connell likely lacks the quality to capitalise on Sinner's inconsistent serve, but that's an area the Italian will have to work on if he is to fulfill his immense potential.
Sinner should have no problem adjusting to the conditions in Atlanta since he has already played a doubles match alongside Reilly Opelka. Barring a drastic collapse, the Italian should come away with a comfortable wi.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.
