After a 100-day wait and a three-month doping ban, Jannik Sinner is back with a bang! The top-ranked tennis star showcased his skills at the Italian Open by defeating 99th-ranked Mariano Navone 6-3, 6-4 in front of an electrified home crowd. 🎾💥
This comeback was extra sweet following his third Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January. Sinner admitted, "Amazing feeling. I have waited quite long for this moment," and it took only three games for him to rediscover his competitive spark.
With moments of sheer brilliance, Sinner began crushing his groundstrokes early. When he broke Navone's serve at 3-1 in the first set, passionate fans inside Campo Centrale erupted with chants of "Ole, ole, ole, Sin-ner, Sin-ner," even urging him with a shout of "Destroy him!"
Although he registered 21 winners against Navone's 10, and had a few more unforced errors (24 to 19), his relentless form extended his winning streak to 22 matches dating back to October. Clearly, Sinner is riding high on momentum and determination. 💪
Next on the court, he will face 93rd-ranked Dutch qualifier Jesper De Jong, who secured a spot with a 6-0, 6-2 win over 25th-seeded Alejandro Davidovich Fokina. Stay tuned for more thrilling tennis action!
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
