Eleven days after his disjointed semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz at Roland-Garros (defeat 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6), Jannik Sinner got his grass campaign off to a good start, Tuesday in the first round of the ATP 500 in Halle (Germany). The Italian, world number 1 for a week, beat in two stages (6-7 [8], 6-3, 6-2) the Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor (27th in the world), after the loss of the first round. Note that this is his first victory as world No. 1.
A hooked match
The fact remains that Sinner had to work hard to overcome Griekspoor who held his own for a good hour and a half, time for Sinner to get his bearings on the German turf, before flying away at the end of the game, more clinical on its highlights and in particular on break points (3/4 against 0/4 for the Dutchman). One of them, at 3-2 in the second set, was sublime, Sinner managing to slip in a passing at the end of the race after a dive that the French swimmers currently competing at the French Championships in Chartres would have approved.
Sinner, who has yet to win any title on grass, nor even reach a final on the surface despite very decent results (notably a semi-final at Wimbledon, in 2023), will face the Hungarian Fabian Marozsan (45th in the world) in the next round.
