World No. 1 Jannik Sinner passed a tough opening test at Roland Garros on Monday night, defeating Arthur Rinderknech 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in front of a passionate French crowd.
With this win, the 22-year-old Italian extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 15 matches. He also bounced back quickly after his Rome final loss to Carlos Alcaraz, which had ended a 26-match win streak.
“First-round matches are never easy, so I’m very happy with how I handled the situation, especially in the third set,” Sinner said. “Coming through in straight sets means a lot.”
Rinderknech, who was playing just a week after his wedding, started strong. He created the first three break points of the match and used an aggressive style to push Sinner early. But Sinner held firm, taking control after breaking serve to win the first set.
The Frenchman fought back in the third, building a 4-0 lead and feeding off the energy of the Court Philippe-Chatrier crowd. He high-fived fans and celebrated big points, looking to push the match to a fourth set.
Sinner responded calmly, winning seven of the final eight games to seal the victory in just over two hours. He was clinical on break points, converting seven of eight chances — including all three in the final set.
Now 3-1 in career meetings with Rinderknech, Sinner will next face veteran Frenchman Richard Gasquet.
“It doesn’t get any better,” said Sinner. “He gave so much to our sport and to you all. I’ve watched him for years, so I’m happy to share the court with him. Hopefully it’s a good match — that’s the most important thing.”
Gasquet, 38, is playing his final tournament before retirement. He defeated fellow Frenchman Terence Atmane 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 on Monday. This marks his 21st Roland Garros appearance, with a best showing in 2016 when he reached the quarter-finals.
Also on Monday, French No. 1 Arthur Fils earned his first Roland Garros main draw win. The 14th seed beat Nicolas Jarry 6-3, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3. With this result, the 20-year-old has now won a match at all four Grand Slam tournaments. Fils will face Jaume Munar in the second round and could meet Sinner in the fourth.
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