ROLAND GARROS — It was hard to watch Jannik Sinner, the runaway world No 1 of men’s tennis, rolling serves in like a club player in the heat of Thursday afternoon.
Beset by cramps and heat exhaustion, the Italian could barely stand, less still hit the ball with the kind of venom that has been his hallmark.
Sinner was an odds-on favourite for the title after Carlos Alcaraz confirmed that he would miss Roland Garros because of a wrist injury. He got to within four points of second-round victory on Thursday before a midday start and a match in the 33-degree heat took its toll and handed Argentina’s Juan Manuel Cerundolo a shock win.
His supporters would not have been the only ones celebrating. Novak Djokovic, however quietly, would have been surreptitiously pumping a fist at the news that if he makes to the final, he will now not have to face Sinner.
Djokovic was fired up during his second-round win on Wednesday (Photo: Getty)
