Jannik Sinner storms past Alexander Bublik to reach French Open semi-finals
Half an hour into his first appearance in a grand slam quarter-final, Alexander Bublik pumped his fist to the sky and smiled widely. The source of the 27-year-old's joy, however, was not a blazing start to the biggest match of his career or the hope that he could take his run even further. He had simply won his first game.
After the jubilation of breaking new ground in Paris, Bublik's fairytale came to a harsh end as he was picked apart by Jannik Sinner, the world No 1, who continued his march through the French Open draw with another relentless performance and a 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 win.
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Related: Wildcard Boisson drinks in French Open fairytale run after reaching semis
Five matches into his tournament, Sinner is still to drop a set. He has now won his past 19 matches at grand slam tournaments after his consecutive triumphs at the US Open and Australian Open. Sinner has also won 46 of his past 48 matches in all competitions.
'I'm just happy to be in the semis and see what I can do,' the Italian said. 'Last year I played a good match in the semis, so I'm proud to be again here. I wouldn't have thought to be here in this position since my comeback, so I'm very happy to take things like they are, and hopefully I'm ready. I just want to watch my side of the net, and then we see.'
Following Lorenzo Musetti's quarter-final win against Frances Tiafoe on Tuesday, this tournament also represents the first time in the open era that two Italian men reached the semi-finals of the same grand slam event and the second time in history after Nicola Pietrangeli and Orlando Sirola reached the French Open semi-finals in 1960.
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The French Open is Sinner's second tournament since returning from his three-month doping ban. He reached the final of his first tournament back on home soil at the Italian Open. The confidence he gained in Rome has allowed him to take his game to another level in Paris, where he is attempting to win his first major title away from hard courts.
'It's not easy,' Bublik said. 'He's playing fast. He's playing smart. He's basically playing every match under two hours, so physically he's very at a top level, so it's not easy, as you can see. It's not only me who got bageled. I wish him all the luck. He deserves to be where he is. We are all going to wait for the final we all wanted.'
Sinner has torn through his section of the draw in Paris, demolishing all opposition. In the third round, Jiri Lehecka similarly found himself celebrating a single game after trailing 6-0, 5-0. In round four, despite his tendency to lose his composure when things are not going his way, Andrey Rublev could only smile and accept his defeat to a superior player. Two days after Bublik upset the fifth seed Jack Draper with a spectacular performance, he was brushed aside by the Italian. 'That's a very positive week, but every fairytale comes to an end,' Bublik said.
Sinner also reflected on the emergence of Loïs Boisson, the French wildcard who defeated the sixth seed Mirra Andreeva earlier on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals at the French Open in her first grand slam appearance. Sinner and Boisson warmed up together on Court Philippe Chatrier in the morning before their matches. Sinner noted that they both used to train at the Piatti Tennis Academy where they would sometimes practice together.
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'I saw her before the tournament in the gym in [stadium] Jean Bouin,' said Sinner. 'We talked a little bit about how things are, and she was very happy. Having a wildcard here, it's a special tournament for her, being French. I think the level she produces is amazing, no? Very consistent. Very clay-court style, with the forehand, a lot of topspin.
'Today it was raining, so I called the [practice] desk [to see] if there was some free spot, because I don't want to risk going on court without warming up. So we arrived here quite early. She said straightaway yes, and we hit some balls. It was a very consistent warm-up for a different game style for a woman, because the ball is quite high and quite spinny. Physically very strong. She deserves to be in the position where she is right now, and we wish her all the best for the future.'
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