French Open: world No 1 Jannik Sinner knocked out as Naomi Osaka makes fashion statement
China’s Wu Yibing loses to Italian 10th seed, leaving Wang Xiyu as the only Chinese singles player left at Roland Garros
Jannik Sinner’s bid for a maiden French Open title and career grand slam went up in smoke as he experienced physical issues in his second-round match against Juan Manuel Cerundolo and fell to a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 defeat on a scorching Thursday.
Sinner won the opening two sets with ease and was up 5-1 in the third set before dropping three games and asking for medical treatment off the court, only to lose two straight sets before going down in the decider.
Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak stretching back to February and the odds were overwhelming he would win the only big title missing in his tennis career – especially with two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out because of an injured right wrist.
In an earlier match, Sinner’s 10th seed compatriot Flavio Cobolli beat China’s Wu Yibing 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round for the second year straight.
With Wu’s exit, the only Chinese player left in the singles draw is women’s world No 148 Wang Xiyu, who in the third round faces Ukraine’s Yuliia Starodubtseva, conqueror of second seed Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan on Wednesday.
In the women’s section, former world No 1 Naomi Osaka made another dazzling entry at Roland Garros, but she was made to work hard to avoid the exit door in a 7-6, 6-4 victory over Croatian Donna Vekic in the second round.