Top seed Jannik Sinner crushed American Alex Michelsen with a commanding 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 victory on Thursday, securing his spot in the third round of the U.S. Open. The match, held at Arthur Ashe Stadium, saw Sinner convert eight of his 16 break-point opportunities, leading to his ATP Tour-leading 30th hard-court win of 2024.
Despite a lingering focus on Sinner's past doping case, he was cleared of any wrongdoing, allowing him to focus fully on his game. Speaking after the match, the 23-year-old Italian said, \"I feel like I can improve still a couple of things. But you have to be obviously very happy to be in the next round and so I'm just trying to get better as a player.\"
The first set was tightly contested, with Michelsen twice rallying from a break down. However, Sinner broke Michelsen for the third time, taking a 5-4 lead and closing out the set on serve.
In the second set, Sinner upped the intensity, racing to a 3-0 double-break lead and never looking back. Michelsen struggled with his serve and unforced errors, allowing Sinner to take control effortlessly.
The third set saw an encouraging start from Michelsen, but Sinner remained focused, applying consistent pressure and securing the decisive break at 3-2. He then comfortably served out the match, ending the bout in just 99 minutes.
This victory marks a stark contrast to their first encounter two weeks ago in Cincinnati, where Sinner triumphed in two close sets to lift the title. Reflecting on their rivalry, Sinner said, \"Very happy to be through against a very tough opponent. We played each other in Cincinnati … so I knew a little bit what to expect. I think also he knew a little bit what to expect.\"
Up next, Sinner will face Australian world number 87 Christopher O'Connell, adding to his impressive tally of five ATP Tour titles this year, including the Australian Open.
