New York (AFP) – World number one Jannik Sinner, vying to add the US Open title to the Australian Open crown he won in January, breezed into the third round on Thursday with a 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Alex Michelsen. Italy’s Sinner needed just an hour and 39 minutes to get past the 49th-ranked Michelsen, giving himself a match point with a crisp forehand winner down the line and polishing it off with a crosscourt forehand volley.
“It was a real improvement, for sure,” said Sinner, who had to rally from a set and a break down in an unconvincing first-round win over Mackenzie McDonald. “I’m looking to get better now in the next days,” said the Italian, who hit the practice court shortly after the match “trying to understand what works here best on these courts.”
“Let’s see what I can do in the next round,” added Sinner, who next plays Australian wild card Christopher O’Connell as he aims to stay on course for a semi-final showdown with Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion who won both the French Open and Wimbledon this year. O’Connell advanced with a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Italian qualifier Mattia Bellucci.
Sinner, who beat Michelsen in the second round of the Cincinnati Masters this month, said the American was “a very tough opponent.” “I knew what to expect, he knew what to expect a little.” Sinner went on to claim his fifth title of the season in Cincinnati.
A day later, it was revealed that Sinner had escaped a suspension despite twice testing positive for a banned anabolic agent in March, authorities accepting his explanation that the result was the result of inadvertent contamination. He said his close friends and associates had helped him come through the turbulent period of the investigation, which had made him more appreciative of the world beyond tennis.
“For me, I believe that I have grown also as a person this period, which hopefully can help me in the future,” he said.
© 2024 AFP
