05/28/26 09:22:00
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05/28 09:20 CDT Top-ranked Jannik Sinner loses in the French Open second round
Top-ranked Jannik Sinner loses in the French Open second round
By ANDREW DAMPF
AP Sports Writer
PARIS (AP) --- Overwhelming favorite Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open in
the second round.
The top-ranked Sinner struggled with the heat and lost to 56th-ranked Juan
Manuel Cerundolo 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 after wasting a chance to serve for
the match on Thursday.
Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak stretching back to February and he was
widely expected to complete a career Grand Slam by taking the only big title
missing in his tennis career --- especially with two-time reigning champion
Carlos Alcaraz out due to an injured right wrist.
Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and
was hardly even running for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots
and serve-and-volley tactics to try and shorten the points.
He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags
of ice around his neck.
The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees C (84 F) and rose to
32 C (90 F).
Cerundolo didn't celebrate too much when it was over, just producing a little
wave to the crowd.
"It's tough for him," Cerundolo said. "I couldn't win more than three games by
set. So I think I was a little bit lucky. ... He was deserving to win in this
match. But then I don't know what happened. ... I feel sorry for him and hope
he recovers."
Sinner was serving for the match in the third set at 5-4, 0-40 when he bent
over on the court and then walked to his chair. He asked for assistance and
left the court. His entire light blue outfit was soaked through with sweat.
After losing the set 7-5, Sinner received medical attention and left the court.
Minerals were added to his drink when he returned but Sinner wasn't able to
recuperate.
Sinner also struggled in the heat at the Australian Open against Eliot
Spizzirri in January. The roof was closed and the third-round match swung his
way.
Sinner last lost on Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He had won five
straight Masters titles and hardly dropped a set.
On the same Court Philippe Chatrier last year, Sinner wasted three match points
against Alcaraz and lost an epic final.
___
AP Sports Writers Samuel Petrequin and Jerome Pugmire contributed to this
report.
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
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