Jannik Sinner, as defending US Open Champion, avoided the shame of a third round defeat in what turned out to be a particularly difficult encounter with Denis Shapovalov.
Today it was a very, very tough game, I have known Denis for a while, so I knew I should play at a high level today. I am very happy that I managed to win. He started very well. I just tried to stay mentally there. Jannik Sinner
The Italian world no. 1 was put on the rear by the Canadian who pulled the first set, the first dropped through the top seeds in three games, to take the lead and although he recovered well, there was still a difficult period when he had to recover from 0-3 in the third set that would have saved him even further follow.
His reaction was a nine-game run to complete a 5-7 6-4 6-3 6-3 victory in what turned out to be a very tense game.
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“It was a very tough match today,” Sinner admitted in his interview on the field after the three = hour, 12 -minute meeting. “I have known Denis for a while, so I knew that I would have to play at a high level today. I am very happy that I was able to win in it. He started very well. I just tried to stay mentally there.”
Sinner, who dropped no more than three games in a single set about his first two rounds at Flushing Meadows, won 12 of the last 15 games against Shapovalov to extend his winning series to Hard-Court Majors to 24 games.
“Week two is completely different. You see fewer people behind the scenes. That is always a great sign that I am still there,” said Sinner, look forward to his fourth round meeting with Alexander Bublik for a quarter of a final place. “It becomes physically and mentally more difficult and harder. It is clearly a special place for me. The first time I played the main table in a Grand Slam was here, and I won last year.”
In his press conference after the game, he added: “[He was] serve very well and push a lot. And too, I am not a machine. I sometimes struggle.
Jannik Sinner shakes hands on just after beating Denis Shapovalov in a tense game
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
“Today I felt that I was not struggling on my side. I played great tennis, and he is too. And then the game is there. As I always say, when I go in competitions, I just want to feel well prepared. If I feel like that, it is a good feeling for me to get on the field, because I feel safe about my weapons, but in the other way the happen.
‘You can’t always go [through] With the score easy, “Sinner continued.” Every competition is so difficult. Every challenge is so difficult. Then there are players who have more qualities or potential, and he is one of them. If he serves very well and he has very clean foundations, physically very strong, he has everything to hurt players. So I knew that. I knew that too before the competition.
“I was at a very difficult moment today. The score was a bit against me today, but I just tried to stay mentally there. Of course very happy to win today, because it was a very important victory.”
Sinner offers to become the first player to defend the title of Messrs Singles at the US Open since Roger Federe in 2008.
‘I don’t think about it [defending the title]Because you go day after day, “said Sinner, who is now 34-4 for the season. “Every day you have one opponent. You just try to play your best possible tennis.
“It is a very long way to say that you can defend a title. Now I can say that I am in the second week, which is already a great result, and then we see what is coming.”
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