Alcaraz, Sinner make impressive start at Roland Garros

(Dan Tri) - In the first round at Roland Garros on the night of May 26, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and world number one Jannik Sinner both won impressively after three sets.

Carlos Alcaraz produced an impressive first-round performance at Roland Garros to overcome qualifier Giulio Zeppieri 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 on the night of May 26. Alcaraz is aiming to become the first man to successfully defend his title in Paris since Rafael Nadal in 2019-20, having won 16 of his 17 matches on clay this year.

"The first round of a tournament is never easy, coming here as the defending champion made it even more difficult. However, I started well, kept a good pace throughout the match. I tried to focus on the match and maintain a good rhythm. I'm really proud of my start at Roland Garros. This is where I'm really looking forward to playing my first match of the year," Alcaraz said after the match.

Alcaraz continues to maintain his high form on clay this year (Photo: Getty).

Alcaraz won the ATP Masters 1000 titles at Monte Carlo and the Italian Open before reclaiming the No. 2 spot in the ATP rankings a week ago. In Paris, the 22-year-old Spaniard will continue his title defense with a second-round match against Fabian Marozsan. The two are tied 1-1.

Against Zeppieri, Alcaraz unleashed a series of stunning shots from all corners of the court, but he was particularly effective at the net, winning 21 points from 25 attempts to the centre of the court. Alcaraz saved all three break points in the 1 hour and 56 minute clash.

Alcaraz is 28-2 on clay since last May, highlighted by his maiden Roland Garros title and a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Spaniard has shown no signs of slowing down on the surface this year, with memorable victories in Monte Carlo and Rome, where he overcame world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the final.

Alcaraz completely overwhelmed Zeppieri (Photo: Getty).

"Right now, I think I'm finding a really good path again. I'm just starting to understand it, feeling more comfortable approaching these games. When I start the games, I need to maintain a high level throughout the game and the whole tournament," Alcaraz said of his season.

Alcaraz was forced to withdraw from the ATP Masters 1000 in Madrid with an adductor injury, and wore a knee brace throughout his run to the title in Rome. However, he was still able to move freely in his opening match at Roland Garros.

Former Roland Garros champion Stefanos Tsitsipas recorded a first-round victory by defeating Tomas Martin Etcheverry 7-5, 6-3, 6-4. The Greek No. 1 has set up a meeting with Italian Matteo Gigante and could face Alcaraz in the fourth round. Alcaraz leads the head-to-head record against Tsitsipas 6-0, having beaten the Greek in back-to-back Roland Garros quarterfinals in the 2023-24 season.

Sinner proved his mettle as the world's number one tennis player to win (Photo: Getty).

In a dramatic match in the early morning of May 27, Jannik Sinner overcame a tough challenge from tennis player Arthur Rinderknech to start his campaign at Roland Garros.

Sinner extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 15 matches with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 victory over the host. Rinderknech received a standing ovation from the Philippe Chatrier crowd as he attempted to become the first Frenchman to defeat a reigning world number one at Roland Garros. However, Sinner quickly bounced back after Carlos Alcaraz ended his 26-match winning streak in the Italian Open final.

"First-round matches are never easy, so I was very happy with the way I handled the situation, especially in the third set. Winning in three sets meant a lot to me. I've played Rinderknech a few times before, so we know each other's game. He's a great player," Sinner said in an on-court interview.

Rinderknech quickly returned to the field after starting a family (Photo: Getty).

Just a week after his wedding, Rinderknech created the first three break points of the match as he executed an aggressive gameplan from the start. However, with the world number one's natural ability, Sinner took control of the match after breaking serve to win the opening set.

Rinderknech reasserted his dominance to take a 4-0 lead in the third set, capitalising on Sinner's brief slump and continuing his attack plan at every opportunity. The Chatrier crowd looked forward to the prospect of a fourth set, but Sinner won seven of the final eight games to seal the match in two hours and 15 minutes.

The Italian converted seven of his eight break points in the first round, including three in the final set. After taking a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head against Rinderknech, Sinner will face another Frenchman, Richard Gasquet.

Sinner coach Simone Vagnozzi watches the match from the technical area (Photo: Getty).

"Nothing is better. I'm very happy to be in this position. I know Gasquet has given a lot to our sport , to the audience. He is a player that you have followed for many years and I have followed him for many years, so I'm very happy to play against him. Hopefully it will be a good match, that's the most important thing," Sinner shared about the upcoming match with Gasquet.

Gasquet has made sure he doesn't give up without a fight in his final tournament before hanging up his racquet. The 38-year-old Frenchman made his Roland Garros debut this year, defeating Terence Atmane 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 in the first round. Gasquet made his Roland Garros debut in 2002 and his best result was reaching the quarter-finals in 2016.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-thao/alcaraz-sinner-khoi-dau-an-tuong-tai-roland-garros-20250527071830214.htm