logo
#

Latest news with #Lehecka

Jannik Sinner cruises in French Open 2025, extends slam win streak to 17
Jannik Sinner cruises in French Open 2025, extends slam win streak to 17

Business Standard

time2 days ago

  • Sport
  • Business Standard

Jannik Sinner cruises in French Open 2025, extends slam win streak to 17

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. 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. 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.

Sinner in the most devilish form at Roland Garros
Sinner in the most devilish form at Roland Garros

The Advertiser

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • The Advertiser

Sinner in the most devilish form at Roland Garros

Poor old Jiri Lehecka won't forget the day he ran into the world No.1 Jannik Sinner at his most demonically ruthless - and still earned a standing ovation. Lehecka is no mug, a 23-year-old Czech who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals a couple of years ago, who's been on the verge of the top 20 and is still a force to be respected on tour at No.34. None of which proved any defence against a supreme champion back on a mission on Saturday as Sinner gave Lehecka such a hiding that the only decent thing the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen could do was to rise and roar when he finally won a game at the 12th time of asking. Lehecka acknowledged the sympathy with an ironic raised arm and fist pump. It didn't get any easier, as he eventually left the arena schooled and shell-shocked, marmalised 6-0 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour-and-a-half. That's now 17 grand slam match wins in a row for Sinner, looking as if the only thing his doping ban provided was a welcome bit of R and R for the 23-year-old. This was his most dominant win ever at a grand slam. "He played amazingly, the only dominator on court today, did everything right. I felt like I was playing against myself because he was a thousand times better in everything," sighed Lehecka. "I thought I wouldn't win any games." Sinner, who'll meet a doubtless fearful Andrey Rublev in the last-16 on Monday, said: "We try to improve. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve." No-one was arguing. He hit 31 winners, made just nine mistakes, earned seven breaks and saved the only break point he faced. Lehecka reckons only defending champ Carlos Alcaraz can beat him. Novak Djokovic will take some beating, though, after his latest 6-3 6-4 6-2 evening stroll against Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic set him up for a date with Cameron Norrie, who won an all-British clash with Jacob Fearnley 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-2. Djokovic had hoped he'd be spared the night match so he could watch the Champions League final, but his contest finished just as Paris Saint-Germain were completing their consummate 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan. It's fair to say the locals' interest really lay elsewhere as Paris just went firecracker crazy. The adventures of wonder boy Joao Fonseca were ended ruthlessly later on Lenglen by Britain's increasingly impressive Jack Draper, the US Open semi-finalist who tamed the 18-year-old Brazilian 6-2 6-4 6-2. Draper still saw enough of the kid to muse: "It's just only going to go up for him. It's going to be scary what he's going to be able to achieve, for sure." Alexander Bublik, the Kazakh maverick who sent Alex de Minaur home in a second-round sensation, continued his fun with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 dismissal of Portuguese qualifier Henrique Rocha and will meet Draper next. Bublik had everyone chuckling as he suggested the secret of his revival may have been that he had been working actually too hard to stay in the top 20 so he decided to go off on a tip to Las Vegas instead. Not a training trip, he explained, but "a three-day hangover thing". "I said, 'OK, let's go to Vegas'. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things. I said, 'OK, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis' - and it worked." Suggesting the tour was now populated by health and fitness-obsessed "robots", Bublik's clearly proud to be anything but. Poor old Jiri Lehecka won't forget the day he ran into the world No.1 Jannik Sinner at his most demonically ruthless - and still earned a standing ovation. Lehecka is no mug, a 23-year-old Czech who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals a couple of years ago, who's been on the verge of the top 20 and is still a force to be respected on tour at No.34. None of which proved any defence against a supreme champion back on a mission on Saturday as Sinner gave Lehecka such a hiding that the only decent thing the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen could do was to rise and roar when he finally won a game at the 12th time of asking. Lehecka acknowledged the sympathy with an ironic raised arm and fist pump. It didn't get any easier, as he eventually left the arena schooled and shell-shocked, marmalised 6-0 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour-and-a-half. That's now 17 grand slam match wins in a row for Sinner, looking as if the only thing his doping ban provided was a welcome bit of R and R for the 23-year-old. This was his most dominant win ever at a grand slam. "He played amazingly, the only dominator on court today, did everything right. I felt like I was playing against myself because he was a thousand times better in everything," sighed Lehecka. "I thought I wouldn't win any games." Sinner, who'll meet a doubtless fearful Andrey Rublev in the last-16 on Monday, said: "We try to improve. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve." No-one was arguing. He hit 31 winners, made just nine mistakes, earned seven breaks and saved the only break point he faced. Lehecka reckons only defending champ Carlos Alcaraz can beat him. Novak Djokovic will take some beating, though, after his latest 6-3 6-4 6-2 evening stroll against Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic set him up for a date with Cameron Norrie, who won an all-British clash with Jacob Fearnley 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-2. Djokovic had hoped he'd be spared the night match so he could watch the Champions League final, but his contest finished just as Paris Saint-Germain were completing their consummate 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan. It's fair to say the locals' interest really lay elsewhere as Paris just went firecracker crazy. The adventures of wonder boy Joao Fonseca were ended ruthlessly later on Lenglen by Britain's increasingly impressive Jack Draper, the US Open semi-finalist who tamed the 18-year-old Brazilian 6-2 6-4 6-2. Draper still saw enough of the kid to muse: "It's just only going to go up for him. It's going to be scary what he's going to be able to achieve, for sure." Alexander Bublik, the Kazakh maverick who sent Alex de Minaur home in a second-round sensation, continued his fun with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 dismissal of Portuguese qualifier Henrique Rocha and will meet Draper next. Bublik had everyone chuckling as he suggested the secret of his revival may have been that he had been working actually too hard to stay in the top 20 so he decided to go off on a tip to Las Vegas instead. Not a training trip, he explained, but "a three-day hangover thing". "I said, 'OK, let's go to Vegas'. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things. I said, 'OK, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis' - and it worked." Suggesting the tour was now populated by health and fitness-obsessed "robots", Bublik's clearly proud to be anything but. Poor old Jiri Lehecka won't forget the day he ran into the world No.1 Jannik Sinner at his most demonically ruthless - and still earned a standing ovation. Lehecka is no mug, a 23-year-old Czech who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals a couple of years ago, who's been on the verge of the top 20 and is still a force to be respected on tour at No.34. None of which proved any defence against a supreme champion back on a mission on Saturday as Sinner gave Lehecka such a hiding that the only decent thing the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen could do was to rise and roar when he finally won a game at the 12th time of asking. Lehecka acknowledged the sympathy with an ironic raised arm and fist pump. It didn't get any easier, as he eventually left the arena schooled and shell-shocked, marmalised 6-0 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour-and-a-half. That's now 17 grand slam match wins in a row for Sinner, looking as if the only thing his doping ban provided was a welcome bit of R and R for the 23-year-old. This was his most dominant win ever at a grand slam. "He played amazingly, the only dominator on court today, did everything right. I felt like I was playing against myself because he was a thousand times better in everything," sighed Lehecka. "I thought I wouldn't win any games." Sinner, who'll meet a doubtless fearful Andrey Rublev in the last-16 on Monday, said: "We try to improve. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve." No-one was arguing. He hit 31 winners, made just nine mistakes, earned seven breaks and saved the only break point he faced. Lehecka reckons only defending champ Carlos Alcaraz can beat him. Novak Djokovic will take some beating, though, after his latest 6-3 6-4 6-2 evening stroll against Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic set him up for a date with Cameron Norrie, who won an all-British clash with Jacob Fearnley 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-2. Djokovic had hoped he'd be spared the night match so he could watch the Champions League final, but his contest finished just as Paris Saint-Germain were completing their consummate 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan. It's fair to say the locals' interest really lay elsewhere as Paris just went firecracker crazy. The adventures of wonder boy Joao Fonseca were ended ruthlessly later on Lenglen by Britain's increasingly impressive Jack Draper, the US Open semi-finalist who tamed the 18-year-old Brazilian 6-2 6-4 6-2. Draper still saw enough of the kid to muse: "It's just only going to go up for him. It's going to be scary what he's going to be able to achieve, for sure." Alexander Bublik, the Kazakh maverick who sent Alex de Minaur home in a second-round sensation, continued his fun with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 dismissal of Portuguese qualifier Henrique Rocha and will meet Draper next. Bublik had everyone chuckling as he suggested the secret of his revival may have been that he had been working actually too hard to stay in the top 20 so he decided to go off on a tip to Las Vegas instead. Not a training trip, he explained, but "a three-day hangover thing". "I said, 'OK, let's go to Vegas'. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things. I said, 'OK, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis' - and it worked." Suggesting the tour was now populated by health and fitness-obsessed "robots", Bublik's clearly proud to be anything but. Poor old Jiri Lehecka won't forget the day he ran into the world No.1 Jannik Sinner at his most demonically ruthless - and still earned a standing ovation. Lehecka is no mug, a 23-year-old Czech who reached the Australian Open quarter-finals a couple of years ago, who's been on the verge of the top 20 and is still a force to be respected on tour at No.34. None of which proved any defence against a supreme champion back on a mission on Saturday as Sinner gave Lehecka such a hiding that the only decent thing the crowd on Court Suzanne Lenglen could do was to rise and roar when he finally won a game at the 12th time of asking. Lehecka acknowledged the sympathy with an ironic raised arm and fist pump. It didn't get any easier, as he eventually left the arena schooled and shell-shocked, marmalised 6-0 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour-and-a-half. That's now 17 grand slam match wins in a row for Sinner, looking as if the only thing his doping ban provided was a welcome bit of R and R for the 23-year-old. This was his most dominant win ever at a grand slam. "He played amazingly, the only dominator on court today, did everything right. I felt like I was playing against myself because he was a thousand times better in everything," sighed Lehecka. "I thought I wouldn't win any games." Sinner, who'll meet a doubtless fearful Andrey Rublev in the last-16 on Monday, said: "We try to improve. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve." No-one was arguing. He hit 31 winners, made just nine mistakes, earned seven breaks and saved the only break point he faced. Lehecka reckons only defending champ Carlos Alcaraz can beat him. Novak Djokovic will take some beating, though, after his latest 6-3 6-4 6-2 evening stroll against Austrian qualifier Filip Misolic set him up for a date with Cameron Norrie, who won an all-British clash with Jacob Fearnley 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 6-2. Djokovic had hoped he'd be spared the night match so he could watch the Champions League final, but his contest finished just as Paris Saint-Germain were completing their consummate 5-0 thrashing of Inter Milan. It's fair to say the locals' interest really lay elsewhere as Paris just went firecracker crazy. The adventures of wonder boy Joao Fonseca were ended ruthlessly later on Lenglen by Britain's increasingly impressive Jack Draper, the US Open semi-finalist who tamed the 18-year-old Brazilian 6-2 6-4 6-2. Draper still saw enough of the kid to muse: "It's just only going to go up for him. It's going to be scary what he's going to be able to achieve, for sure." Alexander Bublik, the Kazakh maverick who sent Alex de Minaur home in a second-round sensation, continued his fun with a 7-5 6-1 6-2 dismissal of Portuguese qualifier Henrique Rocha and will meet Draper next. Bublik had everyone chuckling as he suggested the secret of his revival may have been that he had been working actually too hard to stay in the top 20 so he decided to go off on a tip to Las Vegas instead. Not a training trip, he explained, but "a three-day hangover thing". "I said, 'OK, let's go to Vegas'. We enjoy. We change the racquet. We did many things. I said, 'OK, if it goes, it goes. If not, thank you very much, tennis' - and it worked." Suggesting the tour was now populated by health and fitness-obsessed "robots", Bublik's clearly proud to be anything but.

French Open: Jannik Sinner drops just 3 games to extend Grand Slam unbeaten run. Djokovic wins
French Open: Jannik Sinner drops just 3 games to extend Grand Slam unbeaten run. Djokovic wins

Hindustan Times

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • Hindustan Times

French Open: Jannik Sinner drops just 3 games to extend Grand Slam unbeaten run. Djokovic wins

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.' 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. 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. Novak Djokovic got back to the fourth round at Roland-Garros for the 16th year in a row with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win over qualifier Filip Misolic on Saturday night. A year ago, Djokovic tore the meniscus in his right knee during his fourth-round win and pulled out of the tournament before the quarterfinals. Djokovic's match Saturday was played at the same time as French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain — whose stadium is a few blocks from Roland-Garros — was beating Inter Milan 5-0 to win the Champions League final in Munich, Germany. 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. Another American, 70th-ranked Hailey Baptiste, made it into Week 2 at a major for the first time by beating Jessica Bouzas Maneiro 7-6 , 6-1 and will play Madison Keys or Sofia Kenin next. 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 , 6-1, 6-4. Griekspoor came into the day 0-4 in third-round matches at majors. Griekspoor next meets 2024 runner-up Alexander Zverev, while No. 5 Jack Draper takes on Alexander Bublik. Draper defeated 18-year-old Brazilian João Fonseca 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. 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. tennis: /hub/tennis

Italian Sinner qualifies for Roland Garros Round of 16
Italian Sinner qualifies for Roland Garros Round of 16

Sharjah 24

time3 days ago

  • Sport
  • Sharjah 24

Italian Sinner qualifies for Roland Garros Round of 16

Flawless performance Wearing a green shirt and exuding focus, the 23-year-old Italian showed no mercy, especially in the first set, which he claimed in just 25 minutes. Sinner allowed Lehecka only three games across the remaining two sets, continuing his flawless run in the tournament. Eyes on Djokovic and Zverev Sinner, who returned recently from a three-month doping suspension, has not dropped a set so far in the tournament. He now awaits potential matchups with fellow title contenders Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev as the competition heats up in the second Grand Slam of the year.

Lehecka more than happy to win three games against red-hot Sinner
Lehecka more than happy to win three games against red-hot Sinner

CNA

time3 days ago

  • Entertainment
  • CNA

Lehecka more than happy to win three games against red-hot Sinner

PARIS :Jiri Lehecka may have been thrashed 6-0 6-1 6-2 by top seed Jannik Sinner at the French Open but the Czech player said he was more than happy to take a few games off the world number one who has been in sublime form at Roland Garros. Sinner needed a little over 90 minutes to dismantle Lehecka's ambitions of a third-round upset on Saturday, losing only nine points on serve and reeling off 11 straight games before his opponent even got on the board. Lehecka raised his fist in celebration amid cheers from the crowd at Court Suzanne-Lenglen when he finally won a game but the 23-year-old - ranked 34th in the world - knew he was beaten by a player in a different league. "Everyone who could see what was happening today, I was very happy that I won at least one game because of the way how Jannik played, the way he approached the game and how he was killing me in basically everything," Lehecka told reporters. "These three games were a big success for me today. It is how it is, I don't really think that I would have done something differently... He just played an incredible match. "The crowd was amazing, it was kind of funny that they were cheering for me like that. I just got my ass kicked today, he was better in everything."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store