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Jannik Sinner suffered an early exit in the 2021 Cincinnati Masters, losing to home favorite John Isner in the second round on Wednesday. Isner fought back from a set down to register a 5-7 7-6(4), 6-4 win over the Italian sensation.
It marked the second time in as many tournaments that Sinner fell early, having lost in the first round of the Toronto Masters to James Duckworth last week. Nevertheless, Sinner has had a fruitful American hardcourt campaign so far. He won the title at the Citi Open earlier this month, days before he turned 20.
Many believe the Italian is destined for greatness considering the quality and maturity he has displayed on tour so far. John Isner echoed the same sentiments during his post-match press conference.
When asked to predict Sinner's ceiling, the big-serving American pointed out that the Italian "has everything" to achieve success on the tour.
"That's a good question, because I was just telling my coach about 20, 30 minutes ago that he (Jannik Sinner) has everything," Isner said. "He has all the tools to do amazing things in this game."
Isner then went on to describe some of Sinner's standout qualities, reserving special praise for his mentality and composure.
"He's got a great head on top of his shoulders," Isner added. "He's icy out there. He doesn't get too high or too down. He keeps his head throughout the whole match. That's something pretty special for someone who just turned 20 years old."
Sinner is ranked in the top 20 and already has three titles to his name despite only just turning 20. While the Italian has been operating at a high level for several months now, Isner reckons Sinner is yet to hit his peak.
As such, the American believes the young Italian can go on to win major tournaments in the future and be the next flagbearer of the sport.
"He hasn't come close to reaching his peak," Isner said. "I expect him to be winning some very big tournaments in the future. I know he hears that, right, and there is a lot of pressure on him, but he seems like someone that can handle it well and definitely one of the bright young stars of our game and one that is going to carry our sport for many years to come."
What's next for John Isner and Jannik Sinner?
John Isner moved into the third round of the Cincinnati Masters with his win over Jannik Sinner. Isner will face Benoit Paire for a place in the last eight.
Sinner, meanwhile, will likely hit the practice courts in preparation for the US Open later this month. The Italian can still take part in the Winston-Salem Open, but that's unlikely to happen, as the ATP 250 event gets over just a couple of days before the final Slam of the year gets underway.
