PARIS: Jannik Sinner ended the retiring Richard Gasquet´s career with a one-sided victory at the French Open on Thursday, while Novak Djokovic looks to sharpen his game in the second round in his pursuit of a 25th Grand Slam title.
Women´s second seed and former Roland Garros finalist Coco Gauff also targets a place in the last 32, after 18-year-old contender Mirra Andreeva cruised through.
World number one Sinner had no trouble in seeing off the 38-year-old Gasquet, playing at the tournament for the 22nd and final time, 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 in under two hours. Sinner made his comeback from a three-month doping ban at the Italian Open earlier in May, reaching the final before losing in straight sets to reigning Roland Garros champion Carlos Alcaraz.
He was in fine form against Gasquet, saving three break points to serve out the first set before dominating the rest of the match on Court Philippe Chatrier. “I´m very happy to be in the third round,” Sinner told the crowd after setting up a third-round meeting with Czech Jiri Lehecka.
“Thank you for being very fair with me today, I know what was at stake… It´s your (Gasquet´s) moment. Congrats on an amazing career.” Djokovic, fresh off his 100th ATP title last weekend, got his tilt at a fourth French Open crown off to a solid start on Tuesday.
The Serbian sixth seed will need to be on his guard against crafty Frenchman Corentin Moutet. “I don´t know how many more Grand Slams I´ve got left in my body,” Djokovic said after the opening round.
Third seed Alexander Zverev bounced back from losing the first set in a 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win over Dutchman Jesper de Jong. The German, who lost last year´s final to Alcaraz, will next face the winner of an all-Italian clash between Flavio Cobolli and Matteo Arnaldi on Saturday for a last-16 berth. Australian ninth seed Alex de Minaur´s run of reaching four consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals was ended as he blew a two-set lead to lose 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 to Alexander Bublik.
Czech teenager Jakub Mensik, the Miami Open champion, also suffered a collapse from two sets up in a 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 defeat by Grand Slam debutant Henrique Rocha of Portugal. Home hope Arthur Fils narrowly avoided suffering a similar fate though.
The 14th seed fought back from a break down in the deciding set to grab a dramatic 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/4), 2-6, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Spaniard Juame Munar on a raucous Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Later, Gael Monfils looks to pull off an upset over British fifth seed Jack Draper in the night session after fighting back from two sets down under the lights on Court Philippe Chatrier in his opener.
