Tennis - US Open

“Great match”: Sinner reaches the round of 16

Despite the doping scare, Jannik Sinner is through to the US Open round of 16.(Bild: AFP/GETTY IMAGES/MATTHEW STOCKMAN)

In contrast to the failed co-favorites Carlos Alcaraz (2nd round) and Novak Djokovic (3rd round), Jannik Sinner has confidently secured his place in the last 16 of the US Open tennis tournament. The world number one defeated Australian Christopher O'Connell 6:1, 6:4, 6:2 in just 1:53 hours on Saturday and is now an even bigger favorite for the title than he already was at the start of the tournament. The next hurdle is Tommy Paul (USA-14) or Gabriel Diallo (CAN).

"It was a great match. My serve was really good, I'm very happy," said Sinner after converting his first match point. The South Tyrolean didn't concede a single break point in the entire match, thanks to a strong service performance with 15 aces. The 23-year-old didn't expect the match to be a walkover on the way to his first US Open triumph. "Anything can happen in this sport. I try to stay on my side of the net," emphasized Sinner. Should he triumph in Flushing Meadows, it would be his second Grand Slam success after the Australian Open at the beginning of the year.

Austrian out of the tournament
The match against O'Connell was his third sporting appearance after the doping scandal surrounding him came to light. After two positive tests for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in March, the Italian was acquitted by an independent court shortly before the US Open, according to the tennis agency responsible, Itia. Sinner's explanation that the banned substance had accidentally entered his body through a massage was considered conclusive.

From an Austrian perspective, Alexander Erler was the last to go. In the 2nd doubles round, he and Dutchman Matwe Midelkoop suffered a 3:6, 6:7(5) defeat against the top-seeded Spanish-Argentine pairing of Marcel Granollers/Horacio Zeballos.