Lyon Open 2021: Jannik Sinner vs Arthur Rinderknech preview, head-to-head & prediction
Match details
Fixture: (6) Jannik Sinner vs Arthur Rinderknech
Date: 20 May 2021
Tournament: Lyon Open 2021
Round: Second round (Round of 16)
Venue: Lyon, France
Category: ATP 250
Surface: Red clay
Prize money: €419,470
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel | UK - Eurosport
Jannik Sinner vs Arthur Rinderknech preview
Jannik Sinner overcame an opening-set bagel to outlast Russia's Aslan Karatsev in the first round of the 2021 Lyon Open. Sinner had lost to his opponent in a similarly close three-set affair at Dubai earlier this year, but was able to exact revenge on Wednesday.
Awaiting the Italian in the next round is local favorite Arthur Rinderknech, who himself scored a hard-fought win over Mikael Ymer to book his spot in the last 16.
Rinderknech mostly competes on the Challenger circuit, where he has amassed three singles titles over the last couple of years. The consistent results have helped him climb the world rankings, and he will now be eyeing his biggest breakthrough on the ATP tour.
The Frenchman has a big game that's well-suited to faster surfaces. That said, he has scored a couple of solid wins over higher-ranked opponents in Joao Sousa and Mikael Ymer this week.
Jannik Sinner vs Arthur Rinderknech head-to-head
This is set to be the first career meeting between Jannik Sinner and Arthur Rinderknech, so their current head-to-head stands at a 0-0 deadlock.
Jannik Sinner vs Arthur Rinderknech prediction
Jannik Sinner will enter the contest as the firm favorite given the huge gap in the rankings as well as the youngster's recent form.
Sinner will look to step out with a high level of intensity, and try to take control of the match using his power-packed game. The Italian has a good serve, but he has faced some pressure in his last few matches by being a little conservative on the shot. He will be hoping to fix that issue before the business end of the tournament rolls around.
For Arthur Rinderknech - who possesses a fairly powerful serve himself - the key will lie in his ability to make inroads into the Sinner service games regularly. He will also try to elongate the points wherever possible, in the hope of eking out errors from the teenager's racket.
Rinderknech will be on a confidence high heading into the match on Thursday, given his recent results. But if Sinner can keep his errors under check, he should be able to come through in the end.
Prediction: Jannik Sinner to win in two tight sets.