Ruthless Sinner humbles Lehecka as Pegula digs deep at French Open
PARIS :World number one Jannik Sinner flattened Jiri Lehecka into the French Open clay to make the fourth round but third seed Jessica Pegula had to dig her way out of trouble to beat 2019 runner-up Marketa Vondrousova on Saturday.
As grey skies enveloped Roland Garros, Sinner gave Lehecka no respite to win the opening 11 games as fans checked their watches against the scoreboard in disbelief.
Lehecka drew loud cheers when he finally got on the board but Sinner continued his Roland Garros masterclass with brutal clarity to secure a 6-0 6-1 6-2 win.
"I think in early stages of Grand Slams it's good that you don't spend so much time, if you have the chance, on court. So I'm happy to do that," Sinner said.
"In the other way, matches like this can change quickly, because if you don't start well in one set and the match can go long and then you cannot control it."
Up next for Sinner is a clash with Andrey Rublev, who advanced after injured Frenchman Arthur Fils pulled out.
Vondrousova is also no stranger to injuries and the Czech looked to be finding her best form again on Parisian clay.
She claimed the opening set on Court Philippe Chatrier but American Pegula proved too good when it mattered to close out a 3-6 6-4 6-2 win and will next face Lois Boisson, who won the all-French clash against Elsa Jacquemot 6-3 0-6 7-5.
Third seed Alexander Zverev sparkled as sunshine parted the clouds in the afternoon, the German downing Flavio Cobolli 6-2 7-6(4) 6-1 to reach the fourth round in Paris for an eighth consecutive year.
Zverev faces Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor, who outlasted American Ethan Quinn 4-6 6-1 6-7(2) 6-1 6-4.
'LUCKY CHARM'
Russian 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva outclassed Kazakh Yulia Putintseva 6-3 6-1 at Court Suzanne Lenglen and the sixth seed attributed the comfortable win to a colourful drawing a young supporter left on her bench.
"Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her, because it's my lucky charm," added sixth seed Andreeva, who became the youngest woman to complete 10 Roland Garros singles match wins since Swiss two-times runner-up Martina Hingis.
Spanish 10th seed Paula Badosa would have wished for a bit of luck to force a third set against a dominant Daria Kasatkina but crashed 6-1 7-5 to the Russian-born 17th seed who now represents Australia.
"I was ready for a difficult match," said Kasatkina, who can expect another big test against Andreeva next.
"I knew if she got a chance, she would take it straight away. But I'm really proud of myself and how I handled the situation."
Jack Draper's campaign continued in style when the Briton ended Brazilian poster boy Joao Fonseca's run with a ruthless 6-2 6-4 6-2 victory.
Three-times champion Novak Djokovic plays qualifier Filip Misolic in the evening session seeking his 99th match victory at Roland Garros to equal his tally at the Australian Open, where he has won 10 titles.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Lorenzo Musetti swings past Holger Rune into French Open quarter-finals
Italy's Lorenzo Musetti in action during his fourth round match against Denmark's Holger Rune at the French Open. PHOTO: REUTERS PARIS - Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on June 1 when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World No. 7 Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Musetti swings past Rune into French Open quarter-finals
PARIS :Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits."
Straits Times
7 hours ago
- Straits Times
Musetti swings past Rune into French Open quarter-finals
PARIS - Lorenzo Musetti's impressive claycourt season rolled on in style on Sunday when the Italian craftsman downed the talented yet erratic Holger Rune 7-5 3-6 6-3 6-2 to reach the French Open quarter-finals for the first time. World number seven Musetti, who will take on American 15th seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in the last four, adjusted to the Dane's shift to a swashbuckling approach to keep his title hopes alive in a year that has seen him steady his game. For the 10th-seeded Rune, it was yet another failure against a member of the top 10 at a Grand Slam as he was denied a third quarter-final appearance at Roland Garros. "Last night I was dreaming of this match against Holger and I was playing at that level. I need to be very good, and I am really proud of myself tonight," said Musetti. Musetti, who said he has put some order in his game, arrived in Paris having reached at least the semi-finals in all three Masters events this season on clay. He did not disappoint on the Philippe Chatrier court, delighting the crowd with a handful of exquisite shots, notably from his impressive single-handed backhand. "I complain less now, I'm more steady," he said. The 23-year-old made a fast start, breaking in the opening game with a forehand winner before consolidating for a 2-0 lead. The Italian, who came into the match boasting an 11-0 Grand Slam record against players ranked outside the top five, looked sharp early, forcing a break point in the third game before netting a forehand that allowed Rune to steady himself and hold. COMPOSED The opening set remained scrappy, with both players trading breaks as unforced errors piled up on Rune's side of the court. Musetti kept his nose in front, capitalising on Rune's inconsistency to take the first set, with the momentum hinging on whether the Dane could tighten his game. Rune responded well in the second set, adopting a more aggressive approach by charging the net to disrupt Musetti's rhythm. The tactic paid off as the 22-year-old secured a vital break and maintained his composure, sealing the set with a powerful smash to level the match. Errors crept back into Rune's game in the fourth set, allowing Musetti to surge ahead 2-0 as the Italian kept his game tight and composed. Having adjusted to Rune's frequent forays to the net, Musetti began to find his range with a series of precise backhand passing shots. He carved out two break points in the opening game of the third set and converted with a blistering forehand winner, seizing full control of the contest. It was virtually game over when Rune dropped serve again in the fifth game, sending a forehand wide when he had an open court. Musetti wrapped it up on serve with an ace for his first win against Rune in three encounters. Addressing his army of fans in Italian, he said: "To all the Italians who are here in Paris, obviously you've stayed deep into the night, your support was fundamental, it helped me push my limits." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
