World no. 1 Jannik Sinner had to work hard in his third-round US Open clash against Denis Shapovalov. The defending champion prevailed 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in three hours and 12 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Italian notched his 24th straight hard-court Major victory, turning the tables after the opener and rattling off 12 of the final 15 games from 0-3 in the third set.
Jannik admitted it was a very tough match against a dangerous opponent who has improved his game. Shapovalov was off to a great start, and Sinner tried to remain in contention mentally.
Jannik Sinner wins the POINT OF TOURNAMENT against Denis Shapovalov at U.S. Open.
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World no. 1 got broken three times and responded with six breaks from 13 opportunities. The defending champion struggled a bit with his serve and forehand, hitting more errors than winners.
However, he welcomed nearly 50 unforced mistakes from the other side and moved over the top without spending more time on the court. The Canadian made a convincing start and forged a 5-2 advantage.
Jannik made a comeback and pulled the break back in game nine. The Italian missed another break chance in the 11th game and suffered a costly break at 5-6 after a double fault.
Despite the pressure, Sinner served well in the second set and challenged his rival to follow that. The favorite clinched a break in the seventh game and held at love at 5-4 to level the overall score.
Jannik Sinner & Denis Shapovalov, US Open 2025© Stream screenshot
The Canadian made another push early in the third set and opened a 3-0 advantage. However, he lost the ground after that. Jannik recovered and rattled off six games to take the set 6-3 and gain a massive boost.
After getting broken three times in a row, Denis lost serve again at the start of the fourth set and dropped nine straight games! Sinner served for the win at 5-3 and faced a break point.
He saved it and converted a match point with a forced error to emerge at the top and reach the last 16.
"It was a very tough match today. I have known Denis for a long time. The last time we played was some years ago, and we both significantly improved. I knew I had to perform at a high level to beat him, and I'm happy I managed to win.
He made a great start, and I tried to hang in mentally. Thank you so much for your support, it has been amazing for many years," Jannik Sinner said.
