Paris, May 28, 2022 – Stronger than physical problems and Mackenzie McDonald. Jannik Sinner for the third consecutive year he won the pass for the round of 16 of Roland Garros, not without struggling. Especially in a second set in which the South Tyrolean begins to suffer from a discomfort in the left knee, while the opponent runs away at 5-2. It is the decisive moment of the match, because the Italian – with a 1-0 lead in the set count – takes out all the pride he has and sets off a spectacular comeback. With the inertia in his favor, the young blue must not sweat too much in the last set to knock out the stars and stripes tennis player, who raises the white flag, defeated 3-0 (6-3, 7-6, 6-3 ).
Good start
The start of the match is balanced. Sinner risks practically nothing on his own batting rounds, but McDonald also does not concede any break points to his opponent. The first South Tyrolean gets it on 40-30 of the sixth game: at first the opportunity is missing, but immediately afterwards he capitalizes on it, taking it to 4-2. In the following game the American could reply but does not take advantage of the break point and so the blue is saved, subsequently closing the accounts at 6-3.
Sensational comeback
The second set starts exactly like the previous one. Sinner earns three break points in the fifth game, but this time he doesn’t use them to give the match another push. The shoulder is given instead by McDonald, who in the next game breaks the turn to serve from the 2001 class, which goes down 4-2. The difficult moment for the number 12 of the ATP ranking continues, also due to problems with the patellar tendon of the left knee. Sinner is practically stopped in the field but does not give up, recovering from 0-40 and shortening on 5-3. The South Tyrolean struggles with a knife between his teeth in an endless ninth game and finally manages to break the American. Our standard-bearer seems more relaxed now, especially after the intervention of the physiotherapist, and it is no coincidence that he gets even on 5-5. McDonald interrupts the rival’s magic moment and, after returning the lead, goes 30-40 in the 11th game. Sinner cancels yet another set point and gets the tie-break. A hard-fought tie-break, but in the end he smiles at Sinner (8-6).
Closing downhill
The positive wave for Sinner also extends at the opening of the third set, with the young blue snatching McDonald’s serve and flying 3-0. The American is now on the ropes and gives the feeling of being resigned to defeat. Yet he no longer concedes breaks to the Italian, who has the merit, however, of doing the same and archiving the match at 6-3.
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