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Aslan Karatsev Australian Open 2021
ATP Tennis Players, Tennis News

‘He plays so fast,’ Aslan Karatsev overcomes pace and rallies to huge comeback


Aslan Karatsev, the surprise semi-finalist of last month’s Australian Open, dug deep to complete a gutsy turnaround against Italian rising star Jannik Sinner. 

Aslan Karatsev prevailed 6-7 6-3 6-2 in a drawn out battle with Jannik Sinner that took just under two and a half hours. The Russian has strengthened his 2021 credentials by reaching his first ever ATP 500 semi-final.

‘From the beginning it was tough to get used to the rhythm, [Sinner] was playing so fast, he’s a really talented guy,’ Karatsev said in his on-court interview. ‘It took me time to get into the rhythm, and I was a bit unlucky in the tiebreak.’

The two men played out the longest set of the week in Dubai, with Sinner taking it 7-6 after 61 minutes. Karatsev went on to hold out for the next two sets as the Italian began to fatigue.

‘I felt [more] comfortable in the second and third set,’ Karatsev added.

‘Of course I’m super happy to play Australia and reach the semis here. I’ll keep working, keep improving everyday, keep practising and then we’ll see.’

Aslan Karatsev will face either compatriot Andrey Rublev or Hungarian Marton Fucsovics.


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