Jannik Sinner, thanks anyway. Sudden illness: magic series stops at Roland Garros
What was feared became reality: the abnormally hot weather in Paris sank Jannik Sinner, who was resoundingly eliminated by Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round of Roland Garros. The world number one after quietly leading the first two sets and ahead 5-1 in the third suddenly collapsed physically due to the extremely high temperature (36 degrees perceived in Paris). The Blue, playing practically from a standstill and in great pain, lost the next three sets, surrendering 3-2 (6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 1-6, 1-6). He thus surprisingly passed Cerundolo, who will face the winner of the challenge between Landaluce and Kopriva in the second round. The series of consecutive victories of the San Candido outfielder stops at 30.
Jannik Sinner started his second match at Roland Garros with authority, winning the first set against Francisco Cerundolo thanks to the 6-3 result obtained in 35 minutes. The Azure immediately imposed pace and aggression, finding a break early on and controlling the partial thanks to solidity on serve and depth of strokes. Cerundolo tried to stay in the slipstream, but suffered from the continuity and variations of the world number one.
In the second set the Argentine started well but Sinner responded immediately restoring the balance before placing the decisive break in the third game with aggressive responses and passes of great quality. Despite some difficulties in the serves, the Italian always managed the key moments with lucidity, even finding a second break that effectively closed the partial. Cerundolo had one last gasp in the final, but Sinner maintained control until the final 6-2.
The unbelievable happened in the third set: the Azzurro led comfortably up to a 5-1 lead, posting two breaks in the third and eighth game, but suddenly collapsed physically, perhaps due to the great heat. The San Candido champion began to feel the heat wave in Paris (perceived temperature 36 degrees), and he resoundingly lost the next three games. On 5-4 for him, 0-40 for Cerundolo, he called for the physiotherapist’s intervention: “I don’t feel well, I feel that I need to vomit.”
The South Tyrolean continued to touch his thigh and then walked off the court in search of refreshment. After a few minutes he returned and resumed the match but there was no way: he suffered the 5-5 break by the Argentine, who then also won the 11th and 12th games winning the partial set. Sinner at the end of the set immediately went to the toilet break to try to regain his energy.
Sinner started the fourth set very unloaded, trying to shorten the exchanges and often playing stationary, bending on his knees between points. Despite a decidedly weaker serve he managed to keep his serve after five consecutive games lost. In the next two games in response, however, he squandered six break points as Cerundolo managed to steal his serve and then closed on 6-1.
The fifth set also started uphill, with a galvanized Cerundolo immediately finding the break, while the Azure lacked lucidity in key moments. Sinner tried to fight back with his remaining strength, honoring the match, but he suffered a second break in the third game that also effectively steered the last partial in favor of the Argentine, who then closed out the set 6-1 and thus the match, completing the shock victory.
