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Jannik Sinner vs Karen Khachanov: ATP Madrid – Round of 16

Jannik Sinner is getting closer to the top of the ATP rankings and he can make another step in that direction if he wins the round of 16 match against Karen Khachanov at the ATP Madrid.

Jannik Sinner Profile

Jannik Sinner is currently second in the ATP rankings, and he will probably get on top in the weeks that follow. The Italian is 29-2 for the season and 5-1 on clay.

Sinner is coming off a 6-2, 7-5 win over Pavel Kotov in the third round after defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6-0, 6-3 in the previous match.

Last week in Monte Carlo, Sinner lost 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals. That was only his second loss of the season after he failed to beat Carlos Alcaraz in the final at Indian Wells.

Sinner has won three titles so far in the season: his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open and the tournaments in Miami and Rotterdam.

This is his third appearance in Madrid, and he has made it to the round of 16 for the second consecutive year.

Karen Khachanov Profile

Karen Khachanov is currently 17th in the ATP rankings, while his career high was No. 8 in the world. The Russian is 17-8 for the season and 5-1 on clay courts.

He is coming off a 7-5, 6-4 win over Flavio Cobolli in the third round. Previously, he defeated Roberto Bautista Agut 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

A couple of weeks ago, Khachanov made it to the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo, where he lost to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Khachanov won the title in Doha earlier this season, defeating Jakub Mensik in the final. That was his sixth ATP title in his career and the first after he won in Zhihai last year.

This is his seventh appearance in Madrid, and his best result was the quarterfinal last year.

Head-to-Head – Sinner leads 4-1

• Sinner vs Khachanov 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 (2024 Australian Open, round of 16)
• Sinner vs Khachanov 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 (2021 ATP Miami, third round)
• Sinner vs Khachanov 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 (2021 Great Ocean Road Open, semifinal)
• Khachanov vs Sinner 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-0, 7-6 (2020 US Open, first round)
• Sinner vs Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (2020 ATP Bett, quarterfinals)

Prediction and Conclusion

Jannik Sinner is the best player on the tour this season, and despite his limited success on clay, the Italian is the favorite to win in Madrid. He had a great start against his friend Sonego, but things did not work well in the last one against Kotov. Khachanov also played a long match in the third round, but he did not give any chance to his opponent. These two players know each other very well, as this will be their sixth match against each other, but the first one on clay. There is no doubt that Sinner is the favorite here, but Khachanov will be ready for a fight, so we go with over 21.5 games in total.