Roland Garros: Jannik Sinner makes convincing start. Is this his year?

The 8th seed Jannik Sinner is safely through into the Roland Garros second round. Jannik met Alexandre Muller in the night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier and scored a 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 triumph in an hour and 46 minutes. The Italian lost only 17 points behind the initial shot, facing two break points and keeping his service games intact. The home player was far from that pace, dropping half of the points in his games and experiencing five breaks from nine break chances offered to his rival. Sinner had a massive advantage in the shortest range up to four strokes, firing service winners and attacking first. He left Muller behind in the mid-range and most extended rallies to sail over the top and make a winning start. Jannik missed a routine forehand in the encounter’s first game and faced a break point. He denied it with a forced error and avoided an early setback. The Italian landed a forehand crosscourt return winner in the second game to secure a break and build the advantage.

Jannik Sinner is safely through into the Roland Garros second round. 

Jannik held at 15 in the third game to increase the lead and grabbed the fifth game at love with a service winner for 4-1. With nothing working his way, Muller netted a backhand in the sixth game to experience another break and fall 5-1 behind. Sinner served for the opener in game seven, and Muller produced a couple of efficient strokes to deny three set points. Alexandre earned a break chance, his second and last of the duel. Jannik erased it with a mighty forehand down the line winner and seized the fourth set point with a service winner for 6-1 after 31 minutes. The Italian secured a break at love at the start of the second set and held at 30 in the next one after the Frenchman’s wayward forehand.

Both players served well in the next six games, and Sinner landed an ace down the T line in the eighth game for 5-3. Alexandre denied two set points on serve in game nine and held with a winner at the net for 4-5. Jannik served for the set in the tenth game and landed a powerful serve to build a massive 6-1, 6-4 advantage in an hour and 18 minutes. The third set was the most one-sided, and the Italian was the only player on the court. He landed a deep return in the first game for an early break and held at 15 with an unreturned serve for 2-0. Muller got broken again in the third game before avoiding a bagel with an ace at 0-4. Jannik responded with an ace in game six for 5-1, forcing the rival to serve to stay in the match. Sinner pushed strong and sealed the deal with a break at love following a winner at the net, playing well and moving into the second round.