Jannik Sinner races past Kecmanovic after ‘making friends with the grass’
3 min readJul 6, 2024
- World No 1 at his dominant best in 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 win
- Tommy Paul powers to 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 win over Bublik
- A deadline can really focus the mind. Jannik Sinner walked onto Centre Court just after 7:30 pm on Friday ahead of his third-round contest against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic, aware that he had only three hours and twenty-five minutes to bring the match over before the curfew at 11pm. After taking 3 hours and 42 minutes to overcome compatriot Matteo Berrettini in the previous round, there was little margin for error.
- As it turned out, there was never a chance of the game being moved. However, the roof had to be closed because of rain but in still conditions and he world №1 Sinner played his usual low nonsense game wrapping it up 6–1 6–4 2–0 sealing an easy passage through with one hour and thirty six minutes on the clock.
- Sinner, who will face the winner of American Ben Shelton and Denis Shapovalov of Canada in his next match said: “I m very pleased with my performance today. “From my part, I felt like I was striking the ball well. Bar the wind picking up too much or if we hurt any of their efforts then that would have been interesting, but I would love to pull this year over and done with has it is now some good recovery and see what happens in round two.
- Sinner had his best run here last year when he made the semi-finals and said one of his coaches, Darren Cahill has been teaching him a few things about how to do well on these courts. ‘To be friends with the grass’, he chuckled. “Darren always tells me this. Be good for grass, something nice will happen.
- Sinner had beaten Kecmanovic in all three of their previous encounters and the Serbian’s misery was compounded right from the start as Sinner broke immediately to race through the first set 6–2. Sinner waited patiently and broke for Kecmanovic at 4–5 to secure the set.
- A further break at the beginning of the third set put Sinner on his way and this time there was no let-up from world №1 Djokovic as he closed things out in style. He faced his only break point all match in the last game, but he saved it with a running forehand winner. But the reality is that Kecmanovic never had a shot.
- The Queen’s-Wimbledon double has been accomplished only by:• John McEnroe • Jimmy Connors ________________________________________• Pete Sampras (4) // 1998, 19________________________________________ /*Murray withdrew and Nadal too.
- Surely that is a load to expect from Tommy Paul right on the heels of his first title, but after advancing in total comfort he can at least keep entertaining it: this was another week where reasonable dreams could be had. “ I still have fun on the grass,” he said after recording his eighth consecutive victory, over Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan 6–3, 6–4, 6–2. “I like it. The more I play the happier and requests for responses involvedgetApplication.
- Paul is robbed next year Tennessee native Tommy Paul, having one of the best weeks in his young career while reaching the semifinals on home soil here at #CitiOpen.
- Tommy Paul en-route to 6–2, 7–5 victory over Alexander Bublik. Photograph: Mosa’ab Elshamy/AP
- Really when I came out on the court today, it surprised me. I expected things to be a bit wetter. Maybe the third play of or something like that, I kind of just stuck my foot in ground and stopped going. I always feel like body roll is when you do this [exaggerates gesture] but then it just slicked, and I was going to slide out there. A little bit of confidence to push a tiny bit harder. After all, it got me a point in the game.
- Two years ago, Paul reached the fourth round here in what is his favourite surface and moves so well that he is a genuine threat. A quarter-final place is on offer against either Fabio Fognini or Roberto Bautista Agut next up.
