The third round of the Masters 1000 has kicked off on the Manolo Santana court in Madrid, where Jannik Sinner, the world number one, faced Danish qualifier Elmer Moller. After a hard-fought win over Bonzi in the previous round, Sinner once again found himself in the spotlight: his winning streak at 1000-level tournaments continues to grow, and his opponents are becoming increasingly diverse.
The match started dynamically: Sinner quickly took the initiative, confidently converting break points and not allowing Moller to dictate his rhythm. Already in the first set, the Italian showcased versatility, alternating powerful serves with precise play at the net. Despite being the underdog, Moller managed to show character but couldn’t avoid serving errors and lost the opening set 2-6.
Second set with no breaks
In the second set, the Dane noticeably improved, held his serve with more confidence, and didn’t let Sinner create dangerous moments on return. Both players were extremely focused: Sinner dropped only one point on his serve, while Moller didn’t allow his rival to take the lead. A medical timeout, which Moller took due to discomfort in his abdomen, did not affect his attitude—he continued to fight for every point.
Key moments unfolded on serve: Sinner managed to escape several tricky situations, while Moller, despite the pressure, avoided double faults at crucial moments. Midway through the set, both players showed a high level of concentration, and the score remained even—2-1 in Sinner’s favor with no breaks in the second set.
Tournament context and outlook
For Sinner, this tournament is a chance to win his first title in Madrid and continue his unique winning streak at the Masters 1000 level. If successful, he could claim his fifth consecutive major title after victories in Paris, Indian Wells, Miami, and Monte Carlo. In previous editions in Madrid, the Italian did not go beyond the quarterfinals, and in 2024 he was forced to withdraw due to a hip injury.
Elmer Moller, a 22-year-old Dane, made it through qualification and has already beaten Italian Cinà and the tournament’s No. 32 seed Diallo, who retired during their match. For Moller, facing the world No. 1 is his debut at this level, and he is striving to make the most of his opportunity. Interestingly, in this tournament the Dane comes onto the court carrying a Head bag with Sinner’s logo — according to him, it’s a matter of superstition.
Further prospects
The winner of the Sinner vs Moller match will face the strongest of the Norrie vs Tirante duo in the next round. In a potential quarterfinal, possible matches include Fonseca, Jodar, or Rinderknech, and in the semifinals, an all-Italian derby with Musetti is possible. In the absence of Alcaraz, the tournament’s No. 2 seed is Zverev.
The match is broadcast live on Sky Sport, the tournament’s exclusive broadcaster in Spain. A text broadcast is available on gazzetta.it. As noted by russpain.com, Sinner’s winning streak at Masters 1000 tournaments has already drawn attention after his confident showing in Monte Carlo — details on the Italian’s previous successes can be found in our archive.
For the record: Sinner and Moller have not previously met at ATP tournaments. The match in Madrid started no earlier than 16:00 local time. Both athletes remain in contention to advance to the next round, with the intrigue maintained by an evenly matched second set.
