Jannik Sinner had a rather challenging and a difficult day at Roland Garros on Saturday, but the Italian managed to get to the fourth round for the third year in a row. The Italian Sinner defeated American Mackenzie McDonald quite convincingly, although the match was significantly more tough and difficult for Sinner than the result indicates. The game started well for the Italian but soon he was troubled by his leg when trailing in the second set.
The Italian defeated American Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 7-6(6), 6-3. The 20-year-old battled an upper leg ailment throughout the match and had to save 10 set points in the second set before breaking McDonald’s resistance and advancing after two hours and 50 minutes. The World No. 12 started well on the Court but his leg began to bother him when he trailed 2-5 in the second set. However, he battled his way back into the set in between regular treatments and took complete control of the match.
Sinner shocked Alexander Zverev on his way to the quarter-finals in 2020, where he was defeated by Spaniard Rafael Nadal. He lost to the 21-time Grand Slam champion again last year, but this time in the fourth round. Sinner won his first two matches of the French Open by defeating Bjorn Fratangelo and Roberto Carballes Baena. He advanced to the quarterfinals of ATP Masters 1000 tournaments at Monte Carlo and Rome earlier this season.
The Italian currently has a 2-0 edge in their ATP Head2Head series, having defeated McDonald in the Washington final in August. In all three of his appearances in Paris, the five-time tour-level winner has gone to the fourth round. He’ll face Andrey Rublev ahead in the tournament.
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Andrey Rublev won in four sets for the third time this week, beating Cristian Garin 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(11) on Saturday to advance to the fourth round for the second time. Rublev came back from a double break deficit in the fourth set and saved five set chances in the fourth-set tie-break before winning on his fifth match point. Rublev maintained his calm after losing the second set, being more assertive in rallies.
After three hours and eleven minutes, the 24-year-old seized the ball early and hammered his flat groundstrokes past the court to progress and improve to 3-0 in his ATP Head2Head series with Garin. Rublev is making his fourth appearance in Paris, with his best result a run to the quarter-finals in 2020. He will look to match that achievement when he plays Jannik Sinner in the fourth round.
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