The US Open defending champion Jannik Sinner defeat Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 to make the third round of the Grand Slam on Thursday.
The World number one player aiming to become the first man to successfully defend the US Open crown since Roger Federer’s fifth title in 2008, was tipped for a stern challenge against his gritty rival but instead cruised to a commanding victory.
Also Read: US Open Men’s Singles Champions
The 24-years-old Sinner‘s 23rd straight win at hardcourt Grand Slams lifted his overall record to 41-9, it is equalling Swiss legend Roger Federer’s mark in his first 50 matches on the surface at the majors.
Sinner said,
“Obviously, I will try to play the best tennis I can.”
“The first round matches are always should different if we compared to the further you go. I am very happy that I managed these matches as good as I could, when you are up two sets and a break.”
“Today i felt like neither of us served well but I was returning well with my style, especially on the second serve. I am really happy about today match and I am aiming to improve on the serve but the rest of my game, I am quite comfortable with.”
Alexei Popyrin, seeking a second straight shock at Arthur Ashe after stunning Novak Djokovic last year, quickly found himself in trouble as Sinner raced to a 4-1 lead with a sharp reflex return.
Also Read : Jannik Sinner Biography
Sinner sealed the opening set on serve before having the bandages on his right foot adjusted during the break, and the 24-year-old wasted no time in resuming his dismantling of the 36th-ranked Popyrin in the second.
The top seed earned an early break with a forced error from Popyrin and despite brief resistance in the sixth game, closed out the second set by mixing in a deft drop shot on set point.
Australian Popyrin’s victory over Sinner at the 2021 Madrid Open quickly faded into irrelevance as he slipped behind in the third set, before the top seed sealed the contest with a booming ace.
The typically reserved Sinner, chasing a fifth Grand Slam title to draw level with his charismatic rival Carlos Alcaraz, now has a day to recover and revealed he already has a few Italian restaurants in mind to satisfy his appetite.
Jannik Sinner said,
“I am not superstitious.”
“I know some good Italian places here and I have three or four restaurants that we switch between them. New York provides great restaurants and the people are very nice.
“Thank you again for the support and we will see how it goes in the next round.”
Jannik will play Canadian 27th seed Denis Shapovalov in the next round.
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