Jannik Sinner beats retiring Richard Gasquet to reach French Open third round
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Jannik Sinner hits a return to Richard Gasquet during their French Open second-round clash.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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PARIS – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner had only good words for Richard Gasquet, as he eased into the third round at Roland Garros on May 29 with a 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 win in the final match of the Frenchman’s career.
Reigning US and Australian Open champion Sinner is on a 16-match winning run at Grand Slams and is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the French Open since 1976.
He will face 34th-ranked Czech Jiri Lehecka for a place in the last 16. Lehecka knocked out Spanish 26th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in four sets.
“We have a good relationship off the court. We are different generations, but it’s your moment,” Sinner said to Gasquet, whom he shared a hug with at the net after their match.
“Congrats to your family, to your team. Without great people around each player, it’s impossible to make such an incredible career. You played in such an incredible era of tennis and everyone will recognise you, even after your retirement.”
Sinner broke for a 3-1 lead and then fought off three break points to serve out for a one-set lead against Gasquet, playing in his 22nd and final French Open.
The 23-year-old top seed ran away with the second set against an opponent who turns 39 in June and made his Roland Garros debut in 2002, when Sinner was just months old.
Gasquet’s 610 match wins are the most by a Frenchman in the Open era and huge cheers greeted him on Court Philippe-Chatrier as he held serve to start the third set to end a seven-game skid.
He put up more resistance as he fought valiantly to prolong his final tournament appearance, but Sinner eventually broke for a 5-4 advantage before sealing victory.
Earlier, third seed Alexander Zverev bounced back from losing the first set to wrap up an ultimately comfortable victory over Dutchman Jesper de Jong.
The German, who lost the 2024 final to Carlos Alcaraz, found his form in the second set en route to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win on Court Simonne-Mathieu.
“It wasn’t the best set of tennis, the first,” he said. “Once I found my rhythm, I felt very comfortable.
“I am happy about my level. He played a fantastic match also. I hope I can continue playing great tennis and we will see what I can achieve.”
Zverev will face 26th-ranked Italian Flavio Cobolli for a last-16 berth.
The three-time Grand Slam runner-up struck eight aces and hit 43 winners in total.
He has reached at least the semi-finals in his last four appearances at Roland Garros.
In the women’s draw, Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva cruised with a straight-set victory over American Ashlyn Krueger.
The 18-year-old, seeded sixth at Roland Garros, wrapped up a 6-3, 6-4 win on Court Simonne-Mathieu in just 73 minutes.
Andreeva, who reached the semi-finals last season, will face Kazakh 32nd seed Yulia Putintseva in the third round.
“I struggled a bit with my serve, but I’m happy with how I kept my calm and found a way in the end,” said the Russian, who is hoping to become the youngest woman to win a Grand Slam title since her compatriot Maria Sharapova’s famous 2004 Wimbledon triumph.
“She’s a powerful and aggressive player. I knew I had to play well... I pushed myself to fight until the end.”
She was broken in the first game of the match by world No. 35 Krueger, but reeled off five successive games to take the first set.
The pair traded four breaks at the start of the second set, but Andreeva broke to love in the ninth game and served it out with aplomb.
Third seed Jessica Pegula, Krueger’s frequent doubles partner this season and French Open third seed, will meet former runner-up Marketa Vondrousova after both won their second-round matches.
Pegula, last season’s US Open runner-up, beat 55th-ranked fellow American Ann Li 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Czech Vondrousova, the French Open losing finalist in 2019, rallied past Poland’s Magdalena Frech, the 25th seed, 6-0, 4-6, 6-3.
World No. 2 Coco Gauff also advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Czech qualifier Tereza Valentova, whose compatriot Marie Bouzkova awaits the American in the third round. AFP, REUTERS
