Rafael Nadal Advances to French Open Quarters After Dominant Win vs. Jannik Sinner
June 7, 2021
Rafael Nadal remains nearly unstoppable at Roland Garros, advancing to the French Open quarterfinals after a 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 win over Jannik Sinner.
The 13-time winner of this event has now won 35 straight sets in Paris and hasn't lost a match since 2015.
Nadal had a relatively slow start Monday on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but he eventually took control and finished strong with a third-set bagel, his second of the tournament. He was especially impressive in the return game, winning 59 percent of receiving points in the match.
It sets up a quarterfinal battle against Diego Schwartzman, who has also won all 12 of his sets through his first four wins.
Finding any success against Nadal on clay is usually a fool's errand, but Sinner was not intimidated in the early going. The 19-year-old earned two breaks in the first set to get a 5-3 lead.
He served for the set with a 5-4 advantage, but it was not meant to be, as Nadal turned things around in a hurry with a 7-5 win.
William Hill @WilliamHillJannik Sinner was serving for the first set against Rafael Nadal at 5-4 up. <br><br>From that moment on, Sinner only managed to win two points from the next three games, losing the first set in the process.<br><br>Rafa can turn it on with the flick of a switch. 📈#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/SAiG5NxwSw
Nadal kept the momentum to build a 4-0 lead in the second set, eventually going on to win 6-3. It still wasn't always easy, as Sinner earned two more breaks in the set while showcasing excellent coverage.
The Italian worked hard to stay in the match, but he couldn't get enough shots past his opponent.
Sinner finished with 40 unforced errors and just 11 winners, which isn't a likely path to victory against anyone. His four double-faults with zero aces were also problematic against the No. 3 seed.
Nadal was much sharper, picking his moments to attack and succeeding.
He finished 12-of-13 on net points and consistently converted his break opportunities. It led to a straight-sets victory that was closer than the final score indicated.
The 35-year-old avoided a setback in a tough matchup and remains a favorite to win the tournament. He is seemingly on a collision course to face Novak Djokovic, and they will meet in the semifinal if both players win their next match.
Sinner was seeking his second straight trip to the quarterfinals at this event but will have to hope for an easier path next time around.