Sinner, Sabalenka cruise in French Open first round

PARIS: Jannik Sinner powered into the second round of the French Open on Tuesday as his fellow world number one Aryna Sabalenka also made a winning start at Roland Garros.

Sinner needed just over two hours to beat French wildcard Clement Tabur 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 to extend his winning streak to 30 matches.

After taking all three clay-court Masters 1000 events in the run-up to Roland Garros, the 24-year-old Italian appears to have cracked the code to victory on the red dirt.

Without double-reigning champion and world number two Carlos Alcaraz in the draw, top seed Sinner is considered the runaway favourite to lift the Coupe des Mousquetaires for the first time come the men’s final on June 7 and complete his career Grand Slam.

“Pressure is always going to be there,” Sinner told reporters.

“It’s normal. So I try to take it in a very natural way. I know what kind of player I am. Then, you know, if you don’t feel the pressure, it means you don’t care.

“I do care a lot about what I’m trying to achieve on a tennis court.”

He showed why he is the man to beat in the French capital with a punishing display against the world number 171, hititng 40 winners to just 21 unforced errors.

Sinner will meet Argentinian Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round.

Belarusian Sabalenka hurried through a 6-4, 6-2 win against Spanish world number 50 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro first on centre court as temperatures continued to soar through the first week of the tournament.

The only real blip for Sabalenka as she returned to winning ways on clay after a surprise early exit from the Italian Open was her failure to serve out the match on Court Philippe Chatrier.

But the four-time major winner broke in the next game to book her spot in the second round against France’s Elsa Jacquemot.

“I’d say that for me always not easy, the first rounds,” Sabalenka said. “And then, as I get further in the tournament, as I get more comfortable, my level becomes better.”

Following a wet and cold Italian Open earlier in May and similar conditions during the practice week at Roland Garros, the big-hitting 28-year-old said the scorching conditions played somewhat in her favour.

“I’d say that it was a bit warm,” she joked.

“Especially compared to the first days when I first got here, it was like 14C, like, freezing.

“Now it’s boiling hot and balls are flying, everything is much faster. But physically I feel strong, so I feel like it can benefit me.”

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Gauff ‘glad’

Women’s defending champion Coco Gauff made short work of fellow American Taylor Townsend, kicking off her tournament with a clinical 6-4, 6-0 performance.

The fourth seed joked the heat was “nothing” as she grew up in Florida, but added: “Honestly I felt more bad for the fans. Dang you’re watching in the heat and I hoped no one passed out. So I’m glad I finished quickly.”

Felix Auger-Aliassime claimed a fifth-set tie-break to move into the round of 64 as the Canadian narrowly avoided coming undone against Germany’s Daniel Altmaier.

Russian sixth seed Daniil Medvedev was not so fortunate, however, going down in five sets to Australian wildcard Adam Walton.

It was the seventh time in 10 French Open appearances that the former world number one has fallen in the first round.

“I know that I am in good shape and I can play well in Roland Garros. I can,” Medvedev said.

American fifth seed Jessica Pegula also departed as she went down 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 to Australia’s Kimberly Birrell.

Alexander Bublik completed the list of big-name exitees for the day as the ninth-seeded Kazakh succumbed in four sets to German Jan-Lennard Struff.

Japanese four-time former major winner Naomi Osaka got off to a winning start, beating Laura Siegemund of Germany 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).

Last year’s breakout star at Roland Garros, Lois Boisson, was unable to recreate her stunning run to the last four as she went down 6-2, 6-2 to 22nd-seeded Russian Anna Kalinskaya.

Rising US star Iva Jovic, 18, further confirmed her potential as she strolled past Alexandra Eala 6-4, 6-2 to book a clash with compatriot and former world number eight Emma Navarro, who defeated Indonesian Janice Tjen in straight sets.

Canadian teen Victoria Mboko was also victorious, needing just over an hour to beat Czech Nikola Bartunkova for the loss of only three games.

French 17-year-old Moise Kouame won his first match at his home major; an impressive 7-6 (7/4), 6-2, 6-1 victory over 2014 US Open winner Marin Cilic of Croatia.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

المصدر: New Straits Times