(Reuters) -Frenchman Terence Atmane made sure Jannik Sinner had a 24th birthday to remember, gifting the world number one a Pokemon card before going on to lose their semi-final meeting at the Cincinnati Open on Saturday.

French qualifier Terence Atmane said his Saturday Cincinnati Open semi-final against world number one Jannik Sinner will remain his brightest tennis memory despite absorbing a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 loss to the defending champion.

In addition to Rune and Fritz, Atmane got through Joao Fonseca and Flavio Cobolli in Cincinnati. He entered the main draw through the tournament's qualifying matches, becoming the first qualifier to reach the semifinal in Cincinnati since 2015.

Atmane made his Grand Slam main draw debut as a qualifier at the Australian Open. The Frenchman faced a tricky first-round opponent: former world number one Daniil Medvedev. At the 2024 Australian Open, young Terence Atmane was handed a daunting task against Daniil Medvedev after winning three rounds of qualifying.