'Focused' Sinner eases past Popyrin to progress into Doha quarter-finals

[p]The Italian, playing his first tournament since losing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/djokovic-novak/AZg49Et9/"]Novak Djokovic[/a] in the Australian Open semi-finals last month, eased to a [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/popyrin-a-fJjLpuNq/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=KWnUYji4"]6-3, 7-5 second-round win in Doha[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Sinner[/a] will play [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/mensik-jakub/UFj257G8/"]Jakub Mensik[/a] in Thursday's quarter-finals.[/p][p]The world number two has now won his last 50 matches against players ranked outside the top 50, a run dating back to a loss to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lajovic-dusan/bJf33z45/"]Dusan Lajovic[/a] in Cincinnati in 2023.[/p][p][b]"I respect every player, but I always try to play my best tennis," [/b]Sinner said when told of that streak.[/p][p][b]"The ranking, at the end of the day, is just a number. Everyone is playing (with) high quality.[/b][/p][p][b]"Especially when the opponents don't have much to lose, you always have to stay very focused."[/b][/p][embed guid="eb7dbf28-011c-4a84-91be-0a640a70f1d0" url="https://x.com/i/status/2024184797900206576" social-type="twitter" /][p]Australian world number 53 [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/popyrin-alexei/fJjLpuNq/"]Popyrin[/a] battled gamely but failed to create a break-point opportunity against his clinical opponent.[/p][p]Sinner dropped just three points on serve in an excellent first set, which he took courtesy of a break in the sixth game.[/p][p]Popyrin fought hard in the second but could not force a tie-break as Sinner broke to grab a 6-5 lead before confidently serving out the set.[/p][p]World number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alcaraz-garfia-carlos/UkhgIFEq/"]Alcaraz[/a] takes on Frenchman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/royer-valentin/IFGPWCuI/"]Valentin Royer[/a] in his second-round match later.[/p]