French Open: Jannik Sinner drops just 3 games to extend Grand Slam unbeaten run to 17 matches

Time of India

2 days ago

PARIS: When
Jannik Sinner
's opponent in the
French Open
's third round finally won a single game Saturday, the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd responded with a standing ovation. Sinner was simply too good on this day, extending his
Grand Slam
winning streak to 17 matches and looking very much like the No. 1-ranked man.
Sinner dominated Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in just 1 hour, 34 minutes, the quickest men's match at
Roland-Garros
this year and, measured by games lost, the most lopsided victory at a major tournament of Sinner's career.
"We try to improve," Sinner said. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve."
by Taboola
by Taboola
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Can say that again.
Check out some of the numbers: Sinner delivered 31 winners and made only nine unforced errors. He accumulated 18 break points, converting seven, and faced just one, which he saved.
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The first 11 games went Sinner's way. When Sinner missed a return wide, making the score 6-0, 5-1 after 55 minutes of action, Lehecka raised his arm and pumped his fist in a bit of sarcastic celebration. The fans went wild, rising out of their seats and clapping and shouting, eliciting a smile from Lehecka.
Make no mistake, though. Lehecka is no also-ran. The 23-year-old from the Czech Republic is ranked 34th and has been a Grand Slam quarterfinalist.
But he was completely overmatched by Sinner, who has won the past two major championships - at the U.S. Open in September and the Australian Open in January - and is now the owner of an unbeaten run at the sport's most important tournaments that's been surpassed this century only by a trio of guys by the names of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Sinner's bid for a first French Open title, and fourth Slam trophy overall, will continue Monday, when he'll face No. 17
Andrey Rublev
for a quarterfinal berth. Rublev advanced when his opponent, No. 14 Arthur Fils, withdrew from the tournament because a stress fracture in his lower back.
What else happened at the French Open on Saturday?
Jessica Pegula
, the No. 3-seeded American who was the runner-up at the U.S. Open, came back to eliminate 2019 French Open finalist and 2023
Wimbledon
champion
Marketa Vondrousova
3-6, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the fourth round. No. 6 Mirra Andreeva, an 18-year-old Russian who reached the semifinals a year ago, advanced to a fourth-round showdown against No. 17 Daria Kasatkina. American qualifier Ethan Quinn, the 2023 NCAA champion for the University of Georgia, played his second consecutive five-setter and was beaten by
Tallon Griekspoor
of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4. Griekspoor came into the day 0-4 in third-round matches at majors.
Who is on the schedule at Roland-Garros on Sunday? No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and the two defending champions, Iga Swiatek and
Carlos Alcaraz
, are all scheduled to appear in the fourth round Sunday. There are three American men in Week 2 in Paris for the first time since 1995, and all are in action: No. 12 Tommy Paul, No. 13 Ben Shelton and No. 15 Frances Tiafoe. Shelton faces Alcaraz, Paul goes up against No. 25 Alexei Popyrin, and Tiafoe meets Daniel Altmaier.