Frenchman Terence Atmane reaches a prestigious semi-final against Jannik Sinner at the Cincinnati Masters 1000: "I don't have the words to describe what's happening to me"

Térence Atmane continues to impress on the courts of Ohio. The 23-year-old tennis player defeated another member of the world's top 10 at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 – the most competitive tournament category after the Grand Slams – the Dane Holger Rune ( ^9th ), after having already beaten the American Taylor Fritz (4th) in the previous round ^.

This victory, with a resounding 6-2, 6-3 score, opens the door to a prestigious semi-final: the ^136th in the ATP rankings, who came through qualifying and was previously a regular on the secondary circuit, will face the world number 1, the Italian Jannik Sinner. Since Richard Gasquet in 2019, no Frenchman (in the men's category) has reached this stage in Cinnecinati.

"I don't have the words to describe what's happening to me. It's crazy ," explained the native of Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais) to the organizers' microphone. "It's also a lot of money [in cumulative winnings, 332,160 dollars, or nearly 284,920 euros at least] , it's going to help me a lot for my career. It's very important." Thanks to his epic in the Midwest, Térence Atmane will also jump in the world rankings - around ^70th place at least.

The Frenchman dominated Holger Rune on every point, who, in their first meeting, discovered the power of his left-handed opponent's topspin forehand. The challenge will certainly be greater against Jannik Sinner, the defending champion in Ohio, who won Wimbledon in July, with 25 straight wins on hard court, and who crushed Canadian Félix Auger-Aliassime in the quarterfinals on Thursday (6-0, 6-2).

"I have nothing to lose, it's my strength ," said Terence Atmane. "The courts suit me very well, it will give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the year and the rest of my career in general." And he summed up: "I'm going to see what the very, very high level is like. I can't wait."

In the women's competition, one of her compatriots also shone in Cincinnati: Varvara Gracheva qualified for the quarter-finals of the tournament by defeating the German Ella Seidel (2-6, 6-1, 6-1). The ^103rd player in the world, aged 25, had never before reached this stage in a Masters 1000. In the next round, on Friday, August 15, she will face the Russian Veronika Kudermetova (28 years old, ^36th ).