Ruthless Jannik Sinner marches into French Open fourth round
PARIS – Top seed Jannik Sinner said that he is happy and focused, as he dismissed world No. 34 Jiri Lehecka in straight sets on May 31 at Roland Garros as the Italian booked his place in the fourth round.
The world No. 1 delivered a dominant display of power-hitting as he beat his opponent 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.
The 23-year-old will next meet 17th seed Andrey Rublev in the last 16, after the Russian was given a bye through the third round following Frenchman Arthur Fils' withdrawal due to injury.
'This morning I said to my team I'm feeling well and physically ready,' said Sinner.
'We had to go very hard in the beginning. Because I feel like the start of Slams are very important... which then gives you the confidence to keep going.
'I warmed up very well. I felt very good. After 25 minutes I was feeling great. Just a relaxed morning. Tried to go on court with a good focus. My team is good, they give me the right tactics. It's a combination of also being happy on court.'
Sinner is yet to drop a set in the French Open this year as he continues his impressive return to action following a three-month doping suspension.
He returned in time for the Italian Open earlier in May, eventually losing the final to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, after confidently navigating his way through the first five matches.
The Italian has now racked up four sets without conceding a game since his comeback in Rome.
And on May 31 he won the first 11 games in a row against Lehecka before the Czech got on the scoreboard to make it 5-1 in the second set.
The three-time Grand Slam champion hammered 31 winners on his way to victory on Court Suzanne Lenglen and only faced one break point, which he saved.
In the women's draw, Mirra Andreeva had her lucky charm on her bench for her clash against Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva, and left her opponent no chance in a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
The sixth seed, who won the Indian Wells and Dubai top-tier tournaments this season, set up a meeting with Australia's Daria Kasatkina.
'I knew Yulia is a very tricky player, she has an interesting game and it's uncomfortable for me. She likes to cut the rhythm a lot, I knew it would be tough,' the 18-year-old said on Court Suzanne Lenglen as umbrellas popped open in the stands on a grey Parisian morning.
'I kind of knew what to expect, I knew I had to play at 100 per cent and fight for every ball and get those drop shots. I'm happy with the way I play today.'
Mirra Andreeva left her opponent no chance in a 6-3, 6-1 victory.
PHOTO: AFP
Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals in 2024, attributed her win to a present she received.
'When I was walking on court a little girl put a drawing on my bench, I kept it. It's my lucky charm,' she said.
'Wherever that little girl is, I want to thank her because it is my lucky charm.'
Despite an inconsistent serve with four double faults, the Russian bagged the opening set with a blistering forehand winner for her third break of serve.
Putintseva tried to mix it up with drop shots but Andreeva's baseline power proved too much to handle and she broke for 2-1 after a brief rain interruption.
It was game over effectively as she went on to win the remaining four games.
American third seed Jessica Pegula also battled into the last 16 with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Czech Marketa Vondrousova.
Pegula, the 2024 US Open runner-up, will play the winner of the all-French duel between Lois Boisson, ranked 361, and Elsa Jacquemot, 138th, for a place in the quarter-finals. AFP, REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Relentless Khamzat Chimaev beats Dricus du Plessis to win UFC middleweight title
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Khamzat Chimaev (blue gloves) reacting after beating Dricus du Plessis (red gloves) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title on Aug 16. CHICAGO – A record number of strikes and several submission attempts were enough for Khamzat Chimaev to win the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title, dethroning Dricus du Plessis by unanimous decision at UFC 319 on Aug 16. By taking all three cards by 50-44 scores, the 31-year-old Russian remained unbeaten at 15-0, despite what was a largely supportive sold-out United Centre crowd turning to jeers as the fight went on. 'I never game-plan. I just came in, work like I do in the gym,' Chechen-born wrestling specialist Chimaev said, the new championship belt around his waist in Chicago. 'That guy is strong, I couldn't finish, respect that guy, he's the only champion who was saying my name. This guy has real heart, a real lion, a real African lion.' Chimaev also landed 529 strikes in the match, breaking Max Holloway's UFC record of 447 set in 2021, according to ESPN. His plus-484 striking differential also set a record, breaking Holloway's mark of plus-312 in that same 2021 match against Calvin Klatter. The South African du Plessis (23-3) was on the canvas within the match's first 10 seconds and the defending champion was on the defensive throughout the match. Chimaev shot for an early takedown to bring the fight to the mat and pinned du Plessis in a crucifix position before raining punches with his left hand, but the blows did little damage and the South African survived. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Singapore She won big in Genting, but getting $240k winnings back to Singapore was dicey Singapore Buying hope: Inside S'pore's love affair with the lottery Life Stefanie Sun makes emotional concert return to Taiwan, where she made her debut Singapore Motorcyclist dies after multi-vehicle collision on TPE Singapore I want to divorce my husband and be a single mother: More victims speaking up on emotional abuse Asia Dozens injured after magnitude 6.0 quake strikes Sulawesi, Indonesia, official says Round 2 began in much the same fashion as the Russian again brought the fight to the mat. This time he stuck to his opponent's back like a limpet to threaten with knee strikes and choke attempts, and du Plessis was spent in the third and fourth rounds in similarly poor positions. There was a brief sliver of hope late in the final frame as du Plessis finally managed to get himself into a threatening position, but it was too little, too late, and Chimaev was declared the winner, with all three judges scoring the fight 50 to 44 in his favour. 'He deserves this 100 percent, he beat me fair and square tonight,' du Plessis, 31, said after the fight. 'He was the better man tonight, and I'll be back. I'll come and get my belt back, but for now, it's his and he deserves it, and he has to enjoy it.' With a crowded middleweight title-contender pool in front of him, Chimaev said he was spending at least one night enjoying his breakthrough win. 'I'm going to go back to the hotel, joke with my friends and enjoy this victory,' Chimaev said. The rest of the main card saw Lerone Murphy and Carlos Prates deliver spinning back elbow knockouts of Aaron Pico and Geoff Neal, respectively. England's Murphy (17-0-1) stayed unbeaten in the featherweight division with his win at 3:21 of the first round. Prates, who turned 32 on Aug 17, ended his fight with one second remaining in the opening round of their bout in the 77.1kg weight class. Middleweight Michael Page's two knockdowns were enough to secure a unanimous decision win over Jared Cannonier, and flyweight Tim Elliott secured a guillotine choke submission win over Kai Asakura at 4:39 of Round 2. REUTERS
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Terence Atmane gifts birthday boy Jannik Sinner Pokemon card ahead of Cincinnati semi-final
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Italy's Jannik Sinner (right) meets Terence Atmane of France at the net after their Cincinnati Open semi-final which the world No. 1 won 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 on Aug 16. Cincinnati – Frenchman Terence Atmane made sure Jannik Sinner had a 24th birthday to remember, gifting the world No. 1 a Pokemon card before going on to lose their semi-final meeting at the Cincinnati Open on Aug 16. Top seed and defending champion Sinner ended qualifier Atmane's run at the Masters 1000 tournament with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 win. Before the match, the pair were seen talking to each other in the tunnel leading onto centre court, where Atmane handed over the collectable based on the hit Japanese video game series and TV show. 'It's his birthday today, so I had to give him a little something,' Atmane told reporters. 'I was thinking last night about what I should give to him. I was like, 'I think I still have some Pokemon cards that I brought from France. Why not give him just a Pokemon card?' I'm a Pokemon card collector. I think this is the perfect gift. 'If that was my birthday, I would be so happy that someone gave me a Pokemon card.' Sinner, who was also serenaded with Happy Birthday by the crowd, was grateful and slightly bemused by the gift. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Mandarin with Taiwanese characteristics: Taipei leverages language as soft power tool Singapore I want to divorce my husband and be a single mother: More victims speaking up on emotional abuse Singapore She won big in Genting, but getting $240k winnings back to Singapore was dicey Singapore Buying hope: Inside S'pore's love affair with the lottery Asia Dozens injured after magnitude 6.0 quake strikes Sulawesi, Indonesia, official says Singapore Motorcyclist dies after multi-vehicle collision on TPE Life Stefanie Sun makes emotional concert return to Taiwan, where she made her debut 'I was talking to him a little bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokemon cards, and I'm very lucky that I got one of his ones,' the Italian told Tennis Channel. 'It was just a nice moment before a match, we didn't know each other at all. So, it was a nice moment... The card was a kind of Pikachu. It said 30 damage to itself, so I don't know if that is good or not!' For Atmane, the defeat ended a remarkable run in Cincinnati during which he recorded wins over top-10 players Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune. 'Absolutely crazy, insane. I still cannot believe that I made the semi-finals here,' said world No. 136 Atmane, who only a couple of months ago suffered back-to-back first-round exits in the second-tier Challenger Tour. 'Playing against Jannik today was also a very good memory for myself and I will remember that for a long time.' He said he had worked a lot on his mental strength and controlling his emotions. 'I think that's the key for me to succeed at a high level.' Sinner and hot rival Carlos Alcaraz will face off in a major final for the fourth time this season. The Spanish second seed defeated an ailing Alexander Zverev, who was suffering badly from the 32 deg C heat and humidity 6-4, 6-3. The German, who is diabetic, began feeling poorly and took a medical timeout off court after the third game of the second set. Zverev, who has retired in only two matches since 2014, came back out to finish what was a patchy match from Alcaraz, who double-faulted four times in the second game of the second set but won the last 12 points with Zverev running on fumes. Alcaraz and Sinner have played for trophies this season in Rome, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, with the Italian winning their most recent at the All England Club last month. Sinner is trying to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2014 and 2015 to win back-to-back titles in Cincinnati. Sinner, tuning up for the US Open in his first tournament since winning Wimbledon, has not dropped a set en route to the final. 'It's a very, very tough challenge every time you play a new opponent,' Sinner said. 'In the later stages of the tournament,the pressure is on, they deserve to be there.' Alcaraz will also be playing in his second Cincinnati final after losing to Novak Djokovic in 2023. The Spaniard increased his ATP season match win lead to 53 in a year of five titles. Alcaraz said he is keen to try and take his Wimbledon revenge on Sinner in the unorthodox Aug 18 final. 'We always bring our best tennis. We raise each other's level. I'm ready to take the challenge,' Alcaraz said. 'I will try and adjust my game better and correct what I did wrong in our last match. I want to be ready with my 100 per cent. Mentally I'll be ready – I'm excited for Monday.' REUTERS, AFP
CNA
12 hours ago
- CNA
Atmane gifts birthday boy Sinner Pokemon card ahead of Cincinnati semi-final
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. Top seed and defending champion Sinner ended qualifier Atmane's run at the Masters 1000 tournament with a 7-6(4) 6-2 win. Before the match, the pair were seen talking to each other in the tunnel leading onto centre court, where Atmane handed over the collectable based on the hit Japanese video game series and TV show. "It's his birthday today so I had to give him a little something," Atmane told reporters. "I was thinking last night about what I should give to him. I was like, 'I think I still have some Pokemon cards that I brought from France. Why not give him just a Pokemon card?' I'm a Pokemon card collector. I think this is the perfect gift. "If that was my birthday, I would be so happy that someone gave me a Pokemon card." Sinner, who was also serenaded with "Happy Birthday" by the crowd, was grateful and slightly bemused by the gift. "I was talking to him a little bit in the locker room. He has one of the biggest collections of Pokemon cards, and I'm very lucky that I got one of his ones," the Italian told Tennis Channel. "It was just a nice moment before a match, we didn't know each other at all. So, it was a nice moment ... The card was a kind of Pikachu. It said 30 damage to itself, so I don't know if that is good or not!" For Atmane, the defeat ended a remarkable run in Cincinnati during which he recorded wins over top-10 players Taylor Fritz and Holger Rune. "Absolutely crazy, insane. I still cannot believe that I made the semi-finals here," said world number 136 Atmane, who only a couple of months ago suffered back-to-back first-round exits in the second-tier Challenger Tour. "Playing against Jannik today was also a very good memory for myself and I will remember that for a long time." He said he had worked a lot on his mental strength and controlling his emotions. "I think that's the key for me to succeed at a high level."
