Teenager Sinner downs Zverev to reach last eight in Paris

The 19-year-old, who will also be the youngest male player since Novak Djokovic in 2006 to feature in the last eight at Roland Garros, will face 12-times champion Nadal for a place in the semi-finals.

Italian teenager Jannik Sinner became the first debutant to reach the French Open quarter-finals since Rafael Nadal in 2005 when he downed German sixth seed Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 on Sunday.

Italy's Jannik Sinner celebrates winning his fourth round match of the French Open tennis tournament against Germany's Alexander Zverev in four sets, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, France, Sunday, Oct. 4, 2020. (AP)

The 19-year-old, who will also be the youngest male player since Novak Djokovic in 2006 to feature in the last eight at Roland Garros, will face 12-times champion Nadal for a place in the semi-finals.

The South Tyrolian, winner of last year’s NextGen ATP Finals, dropped a set for the first time in the tournament but he never lost his composure.

Sinner ended it on a windswept Court Suzanne Lenglen with a booming forehand that Zverev could only return into the net.

Frenchman Hugo Gaston, who plays later on Sunday, and German Daniel Altmaier, on court on Monday, are other debutants looking to reach the last eight in Paris.