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Cerundolo consolidates once more and leads 4-0 in the fifth; reminder, earlier, he trailed 3-6 2-6 1-5.
I wonder what Alexander Zverev is thinking. If Sinner goes, with Alcaraz not involved, he becomes the favourite … but imagine if he still can’t land that elusive major … and imagine what Novak Djokovic is plotting! It’s amazing, it really is – just when we think we’ve seen it all, we’re reminded we know nothing.
Unbelievable! Kouame, who turned 17 in March, must’ve aged about a decade in this match, but he’s still in it, holding for 5-5 in the fifth while, on Chatrier, Cerudolo has a point for double break … AND SINNER SWATS A FOREHAND INTO THE NET! JUAN MARTIN CERUNDOLO LEADS 3-0 IN THE FIFTH SET, AND THE OVERWHELMING FAVOURITE IS SURELY GOING OUT! THIS IS THE BIGGEST SHOCK OF THE SPORTING YEAR – AND THEN SOME!
At 15-40, Cerundolo returns into the net then, after hitting a decent return, he tries a drop that Sinner retrieves. So, perhaps remembering his recent success with the lob, tries one, but doesn’t give it enough and a slam-dunk overhead takes us to deuce. Meantime, Kouame blazes a backhand down the line for advantage … only to go long on the forehand. At 4-5 in the fifth, he’s two points from defeat once more.
This next game is gigantic. If Sinner goes down a double break, he’s surely done for, and when a tame forehand falls long, at 15-30 it’s only two points away. and so too is Vallejo, Kouame down 4-5 in the fifth and serving at deuce.
Sinner’s moving a bit better now, but Cerundolo breaks him through deuce to lead 1-0 in the fifth, and this is really brilliant from him, not so much in how he’s playing but the way he’s keeping composed against a man who’s not been beaten for 30matches. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, he knows it, and rather than snatch at it, he’s methodically moving towards it.
In half a day, not even, it feels like we’ve had enough drama for about a decade. Kouame makes 15-30, then stretches out wide to attack a second serve … and somehow, conjures a wondrous winner, cross-court. Two break-back points, a febrile crowd … and another brilliant return! I cant believe what i’m seeing here, the crowd chanting Kouame’s name and we’re back on serve in the fifth! This is amazing.
On Lenglen, Kouame holds for 3-5, forcing Vallejo to serve for a wonderful match. The crowd are absolutely loving it.
Learner Tien (18) beats Facundo Díaz Acosta 7-5 4-6 3-6 7-6(4) 6-3
Next for him: Cobolli. That should be a belter.
Back on Lenglen, Vallejo breaks Kouame for 4-2 in the fifth – this epic feels like it’s already lasted several days – and Cerundolo is now serving for set four at 5-1. Sinner can hit it, but he can’t run for it, so not unlike me in part, and a love hold means he’s a set away from enduring the biggest shock of the year. He needed his body to give him just one more game, but it said not, and if he doesn’t recover at least a little bit more, he’s done for.
Sinner’s walking about really, but he still makes 15-40 on the Cerundolo serve … except that takes it out of him, he’s got nothing left for the rest of the game, loses it, and when he sits down at 1-4, someone gives him a can of brown fizz and of course when he opens it, it shpritzes everywhere. It’s hard to watch really, a consummate athlete reduced to loping about, and a timely reminder to the rest of us of what it takes to do what these guys do.
On Mathieu, Cerundolo Major has levelled with Gaston at a set apiece, as Tiafoe has against Hurkacz. Shnaider now leads Kessler 7-6 3-1, while Taien and Diaz Acosta are level at 3-3 in the fifth – which, with Heliovaara & Patten now through to round two, I’m watching.
Down 15-30, Cerundolo does well to stay in a rally as Sinner unloads forehands, and when one hits the tape, he has two break points … but only needs one, dashing in to flip a drop back down the line, the world no 1 left spectating. That’s 3-1 to the underdog, Sinner having won just one game since leading 6-2 6-2 5-1.
Back on Lenglen, Kouame looks much better, burning a break point as he and Vallejo reach 2-2 in the decider; in the dubs, Heliovaara & Patten now lead Boerges & Zhang 6-3 5-3.
Better from Sinner, a drop and a forehand winner helping him to 40-15, then another forehand winner clouted down the line, levels us up at 1-1 in set four. the last coupe of points there, he looked more like himself, and oh yes, he unloads on two more forehands to make 0-15. He’s going for almost everything now, looking to get this won, and Cerundolo must get him on his bike – if he can plant feet and hit, he’s got enough enough left to win. And, sure enough, he doesn’t even bother chasing a ball to the corner, but does then find a winning drop for 15-40 … bending double after Cerundolo halves the deficit before running around a forehand to punish a second serve … only to hit the tape. Based on what we’ve seen this set, I think Sinner has enough left to win, but at advantage a lob forces him to chase, he looks like he’s moving in slow motion, and he can’t get it back. From there, Cerundolo closes out for 2-1, but it’s taking all he’s got to stay with an opponent who can barely run. Any change in that, even a minor one, and he’s history.b
Sinner isn’t back back, but he might be back enough, swatting a forehand winner for deuce. But looking at the replay, all the power comes from the arm – his legs still aren’t there under him so, down advantage, he comes in looking to shorted the point, and is immediately passed. You’ve got to admire the way Cerundolo has kept focus, left outside for 10 minutes then eight minutes, and he’s not going for mad stuff, just playing his game. I guess Sinner might hope to lose this set to be ready for a fifth, or hope to hold then go for a break later on, but it really doesn’t look good for him out there.
Given things have got tight in our two main matches, let’s quickly go around the courts: Gaston leads Cerundolo F 6-2 3-4 with a break; Shnaider lesds Kessler 7-6; Hurkacz leads Tiafoe 7-6 5-5; Diaz Acosta and Tien are 1-1 in the fifth; and Chwalinska and Mertens are 4-4 in the first.
I’m not sure why Cerundolo has stopped out in the heat – though he’s under a brolly, inside is aircon, and if this match goes all the way, he’ll need to play two more sets. But he stays sat down, then Sinner returns, and we’re ready to go again.
Sinner isn’t the only one struggling with the heat – Kouame looks to have little left, Vallejo taking the fourth set 6-2. It’s hard to see how he doesn’t complete the comeback, but if Kouame can hold serve, he’s definitely got some big shots left in him to finagle a break.
Sinner finds himself at 30-all, a double ceding set point; again, though, the question isn’t so much whether he can save it but whether he can recover. Because when he takes an overhead out of the air, his smash is clearly underpowered, the ball comes back, he nets, and is Cerundolo now favourite? Sinner, who leads 6-3 6-2 5-7, departs for a bathroom break and some fresh kit, but I’m not sure a slash and some Nike are the answer. No doubt he’ll be piling down the pickle juice, though – I hope, for his sake, it’s Mrs Elswood sweet.
Cerundolo holds for 6-5 in the third, the question now not so much whether he can win this set – it’s hard to see how he doesn’t – but whether Sinner can recover enough to snaffle another set. He takes some treatment between games, and this isn’t the first time he’s found himself in this situation.
Back on Lenglen, Vallejo has broken Kouame in set four, leading 4-2, and he looks by far the stronger man now. I wonder if the 17-year-old will tank the remainder of the set to have something left for a fifth, because he looks pretty wiped out there.
Sinner returns and he’s ready to go again – but what does he have left, serving three break-back points down? Er, no that much i don’t think, shots played at half-pace before he waves a a forehand wide. He had 10 minutes off, but 5-1 still became 5-5, and I’m really not sure if he’ll be able to go on! Initially, i thought he’d get it sorted, but now I’m seriously concerned.
Sinner feels dizzy and wants to vomit but can’t – does he have heat stroke? He leaves the court but is he allowed to take a medical timeout for cramp? I don’t think he can, but he can be assessed, we’re told, to see what the issue is, so even if they diagnose a problem the rules prevent him from getting treated, he gets a nice lie-down in the aircon, while Cerundolo loiters in the heat.
Er, I’m not sure what on earth is going on here, but Sinner has now lost 15 points in a row and, serving for the set at 2-0 5-4, he finds himself down 0-40 and sitting on a hoarding, clutching his back. The umpire comes down to talk to him, telling him he can either call the physio or take a time violation; he opts for the former, and it’s not clear if he’s hurt or has cramp, but either way, he’s getting a break.
Heliovaara and Patten break Borges and Zhang, then serve out the first set to lead 6-3; Gaston leads Cerundolo F 6-2; Hurkacz leads Tiafoe 7-6 1-2; and Tien has broken Diaz Acostas back in the fourth to trail 7-5 4-6 3-6 5-5;
At 30-all, Vallejo finds a fine delivery out wide, ending the point with an overhead, while Cerundolo JM, down 1-5 in the third, breaks Sinner to love, then holds to love – not many can say that. So the world no 1 will shortly serve for the match a second time.
After amping up the crowd before the start of set four, Kouame breaks, but then down 15-40, he advances to net … only to direct his volley into the tape. We’re level at 1-1, but the direction of travel is towards a decider, Vallejo now the more assured player.
I’m taking in a bit of doubles – as well as everything else – with Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten, Wimbledon champs in 2024 and Aussie 0pen champs in 2025, facing Nuno Borges and Zhang Zhizhen, a tough round one assignment. They lead 4-3 in the first.
Jaime Faria beats Jan-Leonard Struff 7-5 7-6(1) 6-2
Struff saw off Bublik in round one, but couldn’t exploit the no 9 seed’s path through the draw, losing to a qualifier – who meets Hurkacz or Tiafoe next.
Zach Svajda beats Adam Walton 6-3 6-4 (4)6-7 6-2
A terrific win for the 23-year-old American – what a cohort they’ve got coming through. Next for him: Cerundolo F or Gaston.
Back on Chatrier, Sinner now leads Cerundolo 6-3 6-2 4-0, and it’s a funny thing, really: obviously you put the best players on the best court, but as a spectator, I’d rather be almost anywhere else because at this stage of the competition, neither Sinner nor Sabalenka look pregnable, with the third match one for the domestic audience, Li taking on Parry.
Kouame takes his bag and takes a break so, while he’s doing that, let’s give Vallejo his biggups: alone on a packed court where everyone wants him to lose, he might easily have faded after losing the second set, but instead he kept at it and is now right into the match.
On Lenglen, Vallejo has retained his break, down 2-0 but up 5-3, and returning on deuce, he spanks a forehand to raise set point. Which is quickly extinguished via wide serve and clean-up forehand, Vallejo protesting that Kouame served too quickly; you can imagine how the home crowd react to such grassing. Anyroad up, Vallejo makes advantage, Kouame swipes a forehand long, and that’s one set back, the 17-year-old leading 6-3 7-5 3-6.
Obviously Sinner breaks Cerundolo at the first time of asking in set three; he’s nearly there, with Landaluce or Kopriva awaiting him in round three. In the other half of his eighth, we’ve got Rinderknech, Berrettini, Comesana and Darderi, so not much that’s scary, with Shelton his seeded quarter-final opponent and Auger-Aliassime or Cobolli his most likely semi-final adversary. I’ve not a clue how any of them go about beating him.
With Osaka and Vekic finished, I’m taking in a bit of Svajda 6-3 6-3 6-7 1-1 Walton. I was extremely impressed that the young American lost the first set to Popyrin, then reeled off three on the spin and, in the same eighth as Cobolli, will feel he’s a chance to do something here.
Sinner serves out the second set to lead JM Cerundolo 6-3 6-2, while Vallejo, who’s never played a five-setter, never mind come back from 2-0 down to win, has broken Kouame for 3-1 in the third. But can he see out the set?
On 14, Hurkacz has broken Tiafoe back and leads 4-3 in the first; Diaz Acosta now leads Tien 2-1, the winner to meet Cobolli next; and Walton has taken set three to trail Svajda 2-1.
Flavio Cobolli (10) beats Wu Yibing 6-4 6-4 6-4
A second straightforward win for Cobolli, who with Medvedev gone from his eighth and Auger-Aliassime his seeded last-eight opponent, will be eyeing a deep run.
Now on Mathieu: Francisco Cerundolo (25) v Hugo Gaston.
OK, let’s do Osaka’s interview. She’s into round four for the first time since 2018 and says it means a lot, thanking the crowd for watching. She feels so grateful, this is another milestone and she hopes she gets to play more matches.
Despite a difficult first and second-round draw, she’s won both in two sets so has tried to play her best, be focused, and go point by point; eventually, she ended up winning, so she’s really happy.
On to the dress – we weren’t going at the start, so I didn’t report it – but she feels she’s developed a community with her on-court outfits, likes to keep people guessing, and she enjoys that people enjoy it.
Finally, asked for a word in French for the crowd, she offers “Merci”.
Sinner breaks Cerudolo again to lead 6-3 4-1, and he’ll soon be back in the locker room, so too Cobolli, who leads Wu 6-4 6-4 4-3. Otherwise, Tiafoe leads Hurkacz 2-1 with a break, Diaz acosta now leads Tien 5-7 6-4 5-3, Faria leads Struff 7-5 7-6 2-0 and Svajda leads Walton 6-3 6-4 5-6 on serve.
