'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Match details
Fixture: (1) Jannik Sinner vs Aleksandar Vukic.
Date: September 30, 2022.
Tournament: Sofia Open 2022.
Round: Quarterfinal.
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €534,555.
Match timing: Not before 6 pm, 3 pm GMT, 11 am ET and 8:30 pm IST.
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Amazon Prime Video | Australia - beIN Sports.
Jannik Sinner vs Aleksandar Vukic preview
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner will square off against Aleksandar Vukic in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Sofia Open on Friday.
After a first-round bye, Sinner kicked off his title defense against Nuno Borges in the second round. The Italian bagged an early break of serve to go 3-0 up, and the lead was more than enough for him to clinch the opening set down the line.
Sinner started the second set by gaining the upper hand early on once again. He jumped to a 3-1 lead and kept his nose in front until the end to win 6-3, 6-4. This was his 10th consecutive victory at the Sofia Open.
Sinner has now advanced to his ninth quarterfinal of the season. However, his record in this round has been quite dismal, making it out of the quarterfinal stage just once.
Aleksandar Vukic defeated Fabio Fognini in two close sets in the first round to set up a second-round clash against Fernando Verdasco. The Spaniard was dominant in the opening set, handing Vukic a breadstick.
The duo seemed quite solid for most of the second set. Verdasco, however, was the first to blink as Vukic broke his serve in the ninth game to go 5-4 up, and then served out the set in the following game to clinch it.
Vukic raised his level even more in the deciding set. He snagged a break in the fifth game to lead 3-2. With Verdasco serving to stay in the match at 5-3, the Australian managed to break his serve for the final time to complete a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win.
Vukic has now reached his second quarterfinal of the year, following a last-eight showing at the Adelaide International back in January.
Jannik Sinner vs Aleksandar Vukic head-to-head
Sinner leads Vukic 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their previous encounter at the 2021 Great Ocean Road Open in straight sets.
Jannik Sinner vs Aleksandar Vukic odds
(All odds are sourced from BetMGM)
Jannik Sinner vs Aleksandar Vukic prediction
Sinner remains undefeated in Sofia across the last three editions of the tournament. He played another good match to defeat Borges in the previous round, winning 89% of his first serve points, while striking 23 winners and 20 unforced errors.
Vukic dug deep to score a comeback win over Verdasco in the second round, but will need to clean up his act moving forward. His serving stats were average and he could certainly make more of an impact during return games. The Australian's unforced error count was also higher than the number of winners he hit.
Sinner is likely to take control of the match with his fine ball-striking. Based on Vukic's form this season, it doesn't seem likely that he will challenge the 21-year-old. Expect the Italian to ease past his opponent and carry on with his title defense.
Pick: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.
