Spoiler:
#NextGenATP Italian strikes 43 winners
Jannik Sinner won a fifth set for the first time in his career on Monday, saving one match point at 4-5 in the fourth set against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, for a place in the Roland Garros second round.
The #NextGenATP Italian looked to be heading for an early exit in Paris, but he recovered his game late in the fourth set to win five straight games en route to a 6-1, 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4 comeback victory over three hours and 33 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
"When I saw the draw and his name, I knew it would be tough," said Sinner, who saved the match point when Herbert hit a backhand wide. "I knew the crowd was for him, but thank you for coming out to support us. It's a crazy sport and today I am happy it went my way. I have survived and happy to be in the next round. It was tough."
Sinner, who captured his second ATP Tour title in February at the Great Ocean Road Open (d. Travaglia), is now 22-10 on the season. The No. 18 seed will next play compatriot Gianluca Mager, who was a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victor over lucky loser Peter Gojowczyk of Germany in two hours and 36 minutes.
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Sinner broke three times in the first set, which lasted just 23 minutes, and did not drop a point on first serve. Herbert raised his game in the second set, which saw an early exchange of breaks, before the World No. 85 won three straight games from 2-3. While Herbert could not convert a set point at 5-3, with Sinner serving at Ad-Out, but he later closed out the 38-minute set with a solid hold.
Herbert carried the momentum into the third set, looking a real threat with his all-court game. He took a 5-2 lead with a backhand winner down the line, but endured a tense finale when Sinner won four straight games for a 6-5 advantage. Herbert came through the wobble with a great response in the tie-break that ended with a serve-volley winner.
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Sinner saved five break points at 3-3 in the fourth set and a match point at 4-5, 30/40, when Herbert struck a backhand wide. It sparked Sinner back to near his best level and minutes later he broke Herbert with a big forehand return winner down the line. The Italian came through the bombardment and forced an error to break in the first game of the decider.
From 4-5 down in the second set, 19-year-old Sinner won five straight games and remained in control in spite of French support for Herbert, who saved one set point with an ace at 4-5. Sinner, who broke into the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings last month, finished the match with 43 winners. Last year, he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros, losing to Rafael Nadal.
"I just tried to play my game," said Sinner. I think today I [finished strongly], when I was serving for the match. He gave me a little help, because I think he was still thinking about the fourth set. I tried to start strong [in] the fifth set, which [saw me] break immediately. I think that was the key to today's fifth set... I'm happy that I won for the first time [in a] fifth set."
Herbert, who lost to Sinner in Cologne last year, is now 8-10 in 2021. He had been bidding to record his second Top 20 victory in his past 15 matches. The 30-year-old beat World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the Open 13 Provence quarter-finals in Marseille earlier this season.
Jannik Sinner won a fifth set for the first time in his career on Monday, saving one match point at 4-5 in the fourth set against Pierre-Hugues Herbert, for a place in the Roland Garros second round.
The #NextGenATP Italian looked to be heading for an early exit in Paris, but he recovered his game late in the fourth set to win five straight games en route to a 6-1, 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4 comeback victory over three hours and 33 minutes on Court Suzanne-Lenglen.
"When I saw the draw and his name, I knew it would be tough," said Sinner, who saved the match point when Herbert hit a backhand wide. "I knew the crowd was for him, but thank you for coming out to support us. It's a crazy sport and today I am happy it went my way. I have survived and happy to be in the next round. It was tough."
Sinner, who captured his second ATP Tour title in February at the Great Ocean Road Open (d. Travaglia), is now 22-10 on the season. The No. 18 seed will next play compatriot Gianluca Mager, who was a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 victor over lucky loser Peter Gojowczyk of Germany in two hours and 36 minutes.
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Sinner broke three times in the first set, which lasted just 23 minutes, and did not drop a point on first serve. Herbert raised his game in the second set, which saw an early exchange of breaks, before the World No. 85 won three straight games from 2-3. While Herbert could not convert a set point at 5-3, with Sinner serving at Ad-Out, but he later closed out the 38-minute set with a solid hold.
Herbert carried the momentum into the third set, looking a real threat with his all-court game. He took a 5-2 lead with a backhand winner down the line, but endured a tense finale when Sinner won four straight games for a 6-5 advantage. Herbert came through the wobble with a great response in the tie-break that ended with a serve-volley winner.
Follow Live Scores At RolandGarros.com
Sinner saved five break points at 3-3 in the fourth set and a match point at 4-5, 30/40, when Herbert struck a backhand wide. It sparked Sinner back to near his best level and minutes later he broke Herbert with a big forehand return winner down the line. The Italian came through the bombardment and forced an error to break in the first game of the decider.
From 4-5 down in the second set, 19-year-old Sinner won five straight games and remained in control in spite of French support for Herbert, who saved one set point with an ace at 4-5. Sinner, who broke into the Top 20 of the FedEx ATP Rankings last month, finished the match with 43 winners. Last year, he reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at Roland Garros, losing to Rafael Nadal.
"I just tried to play my game," said Sinner. I think today I [finished strongly], when I was serving for the match. He gave me a little help, because I think he was still thinking about the fourth set. I tried to start strong [in] the fifth set, which [saw me] break immediately. I think that was the key to today's fifth set... I'm happy that I won for the first time [in a] fifth set."
Herbert, who lost to Sinner in Cologne last year, is now 8-10 in 2021. He had been bidding to record his second Top 20 victory in his past 15 matches. The 30-year-old beat World No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas en route to the Open 13 Provence quarter-finals in Marseille earlier this season.
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