Jannik Sinner is on the verge of reaching the third round in a hurry. But then comes the drastic turnaround. The Italian fights, suffers - and loses. This has consequences for Alexander Zverev.
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- Top favorite Jannik Sinner loses his second round match at the French Open against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in five sets.
- Plagued by cramps and dizziness, the 24-year-old Italian was beaten 6:3, 6:2, 5:7, 1:6, 1:6 by the Argentinian.
- "We redheads have a hard time in the heat," tennis idol Boris Becker had already said before the second round match: "The weather is his biggest opponent."
Completely exhausted, Jannik Sinner dragged himself to the net, congratulated his opponent fairly and waved to the crowd one last time. The top favorite sensationally lost in the second round of the French Open after a physical collapse, drastically increasing Alexander Zverev's chances of winning the title. Plagued by cramps and dizziness, the 24-year-old Italian was beaten 6:3, 6:2, 5:7, 1:6, 1:6 by Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
"It's tough for him. I'm sorry for Jannik," said Cerundolo: "I hope he recovers quickly." Sinner had already led 5:1 in the third set - before his body went on strike and dramatic scenes unfolded on Court Philippe Chatrier. After that, the world number one only won two more games.
"A shock for everyone"
As a result, German tennis star Zverev's hopes of winning the Grand Slam tournament he has been longing for have grown considerably. Sinner, who has beaten Zverev nine times in a row in direct duels, was regarded as the Hamburg native's biggest rival for the title. Zverev had advanced to the third round on Wednesday evening with a commanding three-set victory over the Czech Tomas Machac.
"First of all, it's a shock for everyone," said former national coach Barbara Rittner on Eurosport: "Of course, Sascha Zverev, who is seeded number two, is now the absolute top favorite." However, former professional Philipp Kohlschreiber warned: "There are still enough stumbling blocks."
Sinner felt "very dizzy"
It was Sinner's first defeat after 30 wins in a row. When everything on Court Philippe Chatrier already looked like a second-round victory in a hurry, things took a drastic turn: The midday heat of 30 degrees and lots of sun were now causing Sinner huge problems after all. He limped, stretched and massaged his left leg himself during a break on the bench. After a rally, he leaned against a railing, completely exhausted.
"It must be really extremely bad, he can't move a millimeter," said Kohlschreiber. At 5:4 and 0:40, after Sinner had lost 15 points in a row, he requested a medical time-out. He was also "very dizzy", said the South Tyrolean to a physiotherapist. And he told the referee that he felt dehydrated and needed to vomit.
Sinner fights and gasps
Even after the break, Sinner suffered, and so he lost the third set almost without resistance. He then left the court again for a cabin break. On his return, the Italian moved a little better, but he did not feel well. At times he crouched in the shade and almost threw up. He repeatedly bent over his racket and breathed heavily.
"The way he's been dragging himself around and struggling for an hour and a half now is really, really bitter," said Kohlschreiber. The battered favorite tried to keep the rallies as short as possible. At times, he only played from a standing position. Cerundolo played cleverly, he scattered numerous stops and played with a lot of spin. After 3:36 hours, the biggest surprise of the tournament so far had been decided.
Becker: Weather is Sinner's "biggest opponent"
Sinner had recently had physical problems in similar conditions. "We redheads have a hard time in the heat," tennis idol Boris Becker had already said before the second round match: "The weather is his biggest opponent."
The last time Sinner was eliminated in the second round of a Grand Slam tournament was also three years ago in Paris. His opponent back then was German professional Daniel Altmaier.
