Qualifier Christopher O'Connell reacts to stunning No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner

World No. 132 Christopher O'Connell said he feels comfortable at the Atlanta Open after stunning No. 2 seed Jannik Sinner. 

O'Connell, a former world No. 111, delivered a great performance on Thursday at the Atlanta Open as he saw off world No. 23 Sinner 7-6 (7) 6-4. 

O'Connell has already won four matches at the Atlanta Open as he earned a main draw place after winning two qualifying matches. 

“I got here last Wednesday, so I’ve been acclimatising for the past week or so. I felt pretty comfortable out there,” O’Connell said in his on-court interview, per the ATP website. “Maybe I was a little off early on, but as I got into the swing of the match I felt pretty comfortable.”

O'Connell entered the match as the underdog against Sinner.

“I struggled a little bit with that when I was a bit younger,” O’Connell said of facing higher-ranked opponents. “But I’m 27 now, so I need to start making some inroads. I feel confident at the moment.”

O'Connell managed to win a tight first set

Both players firmly held on to their serve in the first set as not a single break point was seen in the opening 12 games of the match. 

In the tie-break, Sinner had two consecutive set points at 6-4 and one more 7-6 but failed to convert. 

After saving three set points, O'Connell realized his first set point to win a tight opener. 

After winning a tight first set, O'Connell claimed the first break of the match in the first game of the second set. 

O'Connell then routinely held on to his serve the rest of the way to book a siraight-set win. 

O'Connell didn't allow Sinner a single break opportunity during their round-of-16 clash in Atlanta. 

O'Connell, 27, is having his debut campaign at the Atlanta Open. 

The quarterfinal made in Atlanta is O'Connell's best result of the season. 

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/3yeMJZs