Two #NextGenATP Italian stars Jannik Sinner and Lorenzo Musetti joined Matteo Berrettini and Fabio Fognini in the Roland Garros third round on Thursday afternoon.
Sinner, who reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year (l. to Nadal) and broke into the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time in April, defeated compatriot Gianluca Mager 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in two hours and 21 minutes.
The 19-year-old, who hit 29 winners, including seven aces, saved two set points on serve at 4-5 in the second set. Despite winning 46 per cent of his first serves in the third set, Sinner responded well and will now challenge against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Sinner, who saved a match point in his opening-round victory against France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, is now 23-10 for the season. The Italian won his second ATP Tour title in February at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne (d. Travaglia) and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in April at the Miami Open presented by Itau (l. to Hurkacz).
Sinner revealed that his opening round victory over Hugues-Herbert helped give him further belief on Thursday and he was pleased with his performance against Mager.
“When you are one point [from losing], if I had lost that point I would be already at home," said Sinner. "It makes things a little bit different in way. [But] I am still here. Today, I think the level of tennis grew from the first round and now to the second round. ‘Mental boost’, it's a big word, but it can give you [that], for sure. I am here to play the third round, and I'm not thinking anymore back."
Ymer defeated French 14th seed Gael Monfils, the 2008 semi-finalist, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Musetti extended his stay in Paris as the 19-year-old reached the third round on his Grand Slam debut. The Italian struck 39 winners, including four aces, against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan for a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 victory over two hours and nine minutes.
Musetti recovered from 3-5 down in the first set, before taking control of the match that finished with Nishioka’s 43rd unforced error on the Italian’s fifth match point.
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The World No. 76 will next face compatriot Marco Cecchinato, who defeated Australian 21st seed Alex de Minaur, winner of the Antalya Open title (d. Bublik) at the start of the season, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in two hours and 28 minutes.
Nine months ago, Musetti was still outside the Top 250 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. He has reached two ATP Tour semi-finals this season – as a qualifier at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco and also at the recent Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon (l. to Tsitsipas both times). He beat Belgian 13th seed David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6(3) in the first round on Monday.
Sinner, who reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros last year (l. to Nadal) and broke into the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings for the first time in April, defeated compatriot Gianluca Mager 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 in two hours and 21 minutes.
The 19-year-old, who hit 29 winners, including seven aces, saved two set points on serve at 4-5 in the second set. Despite winning 46 per cent of his first serves in the third set, Sinner responded well and will now challenge against Sweden’s Mikael Ymer.
Sinner, who saved a match point in his opening-round victory against France’s Pierre-Hugues Herbert, is now 23-10 for the season. The Italian won his second ATP Tour title in February at the Great Ocean Road Open in Melbourne (d. Travaglia) and reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final in April at the Miami Open presented by Itau (l. to Hurkacz).
Sinner revealed that his opening round victory over Hugues-Herbert helped give him further belief on Thursday and he was pleased with his performance against Mager.
“When you are one point [from losing], if I had lost that point I would be already at home," said Sinner. "It makes things a little bit different in way. [But] I am still here. Today, I think the level of tennis grew from the first round and now to the second round. ‘Mental boost’, it's a big word, but it can give you [that], for sure. I am here to play the third round, and I'm not thinking anymore back."
Ymer defeated French 14th seed Gael Monfils, the 2008 semi-finalist, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours and 24 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
Musetti extended his stay in Paris as the 19-year-old reached the third round on his Grand Slam debut. The Italian struck 39 winners, including four aces, against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan for a 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 victory over two hours and nine minutes.
Musetti recovered from 3-5 down in the first set, before taking control of the match that finished with Nishioka’s 43rd unforced error on the Italian’s fifth match point.
Follow Live Scores At RolandGarros.com
The World No. 76 will next face compatriot Marco Cecchinato, who defeated Australian 21st seed Alex de Minaur, winner of the Antalya Open title (d. Bublik) at the start of the season, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1 in two hours and 28 minutes.
Nine months ago, Musetti was still outside the Top 250 of the FedEx ATP Rankings. He has reached two ATP Tour semi-finals this season – as a qualifier at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel presentado por HSBC in Acapulco and also at the recent Open Parc Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes Lyon (l. to Tsitsipas both times). He beat Belgian 13th seed David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6(3) in the first round on Monday.