Sofia Open 2022: Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick
Match details
Fixture: (1) Jannik Sinner vs (5) Holger Rune.
Date: October 1, 2022.
Tournament: Sofia Open 2022.
Round: Semifinal.
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria.
Category: ATP 250.
Surface: Indoor hardcourt.
Prize money: €534,555.
Match timing: Not before 6 pm local time, 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 Holger Rune preview
Two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner will take on fifth seed Holger Rune in the semifinals of the 2022 Sofia Open on Saturday.
A straight-sets win over Nuno Borges sent Sinner into the quarterfinals, where he was up against Aleksandar Vukic. The Italian needed to save four break points before he was able to hold serve in the very first game of the match. This would turn out to be the only obstacle he faced in the opening set, as he went on to claim four games in a row to clinch the set.
Sinner snagged an early break in the second set as he sailed to a 4-1 lead, but Vukic fought back to get back on serve. The 21-year old managed to break his opponent's serve once again and served out the match in the following game to win 6-2, 6-3.
This was Sinner's 11th consecutive victory at the Sofia Open and has now reached his second semifinal of the season.
Following a straight-sets win over Tim van Rijthoven, Rune battled past Lorenzo Sonego in three sets to reach the quarterfinals in Sofia. He faced Ilya Ivashka for a spot in the semifinals.
Rune wrapped up the first set rather quickly, reeling off five straight games to grab the set. The second set looked like it was heading into a tie-break, but Ivashka managed to come up with a couple of break points towards the very end of the set, his first of the entire match. The Belarusian managed to break his opponent's serve to claim the set and take the match to a decider.
Rune took an early lead in the final set as he went 3-1 up, but Ivashka won the next three games to get back on serve. The teenager was struggling with a thigh injury at this point and it had started to affect his game. Nevertheless, he managed to secure a break in the ninth game of the set and closed out the proceedings in the next game to win 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.
Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune head-to-head
This will be the first meeting between them, so the head-to-head stands at 0-0 for now.
Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Jannik Sinner vs Holger Rune prediction
Rune's fitness will be of prime concern heading into this encounter. He didn't look to be in good shape towards the end of his quarterfinal clash, but the Dane somehow managed to defeat Ivashka. The teenager played a fantastic first set, but his level dwindled as the match went on, in part due to his injury.
Rune still managed to finish with more winners than unforced errors and his serving stats at the start of the match were pretty good. Sinner, on the other hand, seems unbeatable in Sofia. The defending champion looks to be in ominous form and the young Dane will need to be at his absolute best to even make it a competitive match.
Sinner's game is further amplified by the indoor conditions. Rune seems to have found his groove after a tough few months. But the Italian is far too consistent for him to beat at the moment and should be able to carry on with his title defense.
Pick: Jannik Sinner to win in straight sets.