Defending Champion Jannik Sinner Beats Borna Coric in Montreal in Return from Tonsillitis

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand against Borna Coric of Croatia in the Men's Singles second round match during Day Three of the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 8, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images via AFP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand against Borna Coric of Croatia in the Men's Singles second round match during Day Three of the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 8, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images via AFP)
TT

Defending Champion Jannik Sinner Beats Borna Coric in Montreal in Return from Tonsillitis

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand against Borna Coric of Croatia in the Men's Singles second round match during Day Three of the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 8, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images via AFP)
Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand against Borna Coric of Croatia in the Men's Singles second round match during Day Three of the ATP Masters 1000 National Bank Open at Stade IGA on August 8, 2024 in Montreal, Canada. (Getty Images via AFP)

Top-ranked Jannik Sinner opened his National Bank Open title defense with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Borna Coric on Thursday in the second round of the National Bank Open.

Sinner missed the Olympics because of tonsillitis after a quarterfinal loss to Daniil Medvedev at Wimbledon. In January, Sinner beat Medvedev in the Australian Open final for his first Grand Slam title.

“Very happy and excited to go back on court,” Sinner said. “It was a tough match, but I served quite well in important moments and returned well in the games when I broke him. So a very positive start.”

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev routed Jordan Thompson 6-1, 6-1 for his ATP Tour-leading 48th match victory of the year.

Rain wiped out the night session. Fourth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz was set to face Thanasi Kokkinakis when the rain hit, and Arthur Rinderknech led Flavio Cobolli in the fourth game. The all-American clash between Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda also was postponed.

Earlier, the third-seeded Medvedev and eighth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas were eliminated.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina beat Medvedev 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, and Kei Nishikori topped Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4. Medvedev, the Russian who won the 2021 US Open, had 17 unforced errors and won just 32% of his second-serve points.

Fifth-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced with a 7-6 (3), 6-2 victory over Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Sixth-seeded Casper Ruud outlasted James Duckworth 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3.



'Not at the Level': Atletico Left to Ruminate after Club World Cup KO

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
TT

'Not at the Level': Atletico Left to Ruminate after Club World Cup KO

Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP
Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann and his team-mate Julian Alvarez react after Club World Cup elimination on Monday. Patrick T. Fallon / AFP

For all the excuses -- and there have been many -- one line from Antoine Griezmann cut straight to the heart of the matter after Atletico Madrid's Club World Cup elimination.

"We have to look at ourselves and see that there are times when we are not at the level and we have to resolve that," said the veteran French forward.

Griezmann's goal earned Atletico a 1-0 win over Botafogo on Monday but the Brazilian side progressed ahead of the Spaniards on goal difference to reach the Club World Cup last 16, reported AFP.

Atletico were left licking their wounds, just like they were after failing to win a major trophy this season.

Their controversial Champions League last 16 elimination by Real Madrid after Julian Alvarez's "double-touch" penalty left Atletico raging at referees, UEFA and their arch-rivals.

They spiraled and blamed that for their capitulation in La Liga, which they led at Christmas, while Simeone insisted a Copa del Rey semi-final defeat by Barcelona was something the club had to accept.

"We are trying to keep improving to get closer and closer to the teams above us and to accept the place we are," said the Argentine coach.

However Atletico, who won La Liga in 2014 and 2021, and finished runners-up in the 2014 and 2016 Champions League final, have been far closer to the elite than they are right now.

Some players at the club understand that, like Griezmann and goalkeeper Jan Oblak, while others do not seem to.

"We'll keep rattling the cages of those at the top," pledged Marcos Llorente after the group stage elimination in the United States.

Atletico were upset that some penalty appeals were ignored during the win over Botafogo in Pasadena.

"I've never seen anything like it, to be honest, I think we should have been awarded two penalties," complained winger Giuliano Simeone, the coach's son.

"I think the decisions are not favoring us at all -- in all the debatable ones, we have to play against that."

'It takes work'

It was Atletico's opening 4-0 thrashing by Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain that cost them qualification and also showed how far they are from the game's peak.

Simeone has been in charge since 2011 and many would say he is the greatest coach in the club's history, but in recent years questions have grown around whether he is the man to drive Atletico further.

The last trophy they won was La Liga four years ago.

"I'm sad to be eliminated, we got six points from three games. We won two," said Simeone.

As has so often proven the case in recent years, it was not enough.

In some quarters of the Spanish media, former Rojiblanco defender Filipe Luis, coach of Brazilian side Flamengo -- who have made it through to the last 16 -- has been linked as a future Atletico coach.

"They've had a long season... let's hope the next one is better for them," said retired Atletico great Sergio Aguero, but with the team not progressing, some fans are losing their hope.

Griezmann, who signed a new contract with Atletico at the start of the summer and ended a 18-game goal drought against Botafogo, believes it will take elbow grease.

"It takes work, and it's a problem deeper and more to do within the team than the referees," he added, as Atletico packed their bags for home.

"We have to focus on what we have to improve, on what we have to do to win these games."