Paris, May 29 (IANS) World No.1 Jannik Sinner pulled the curtain down on Richard Gasquet’s illustrious career on Thursday, surging past the Frenchman 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 to reach the men’s singles third round at the French Open here on Thursday.

Making his 22nd appearance at the clay-court major in Paris, the 38-year-old Gasquet was unable to produce a response to Sinner’s heavy ball-striking and pinpoint accuracy throughout the one-hour, 58-minute clash.

With his victory, the No. 1 player in the ATP Rankings extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 16 matches, becoming the first man born in 1990 or later to do so.

“We have a good relationship off the court. We are different generations, but it’s your moment,” Sinner said to Gasquet, who recorded his sole win over a World No. 1 in Monte-Carlo in 2005 when he defeated Roger Federer.

“Congrats to your family, to your team. Without great people around each player, it’s impossible to make such an incredible career. You played in such an incredible era of tennis, and everyone will recognise you, even after your retirement,” the Italian star was quoted as saying by the ATP Tour in a report on its website.

Gasquet, a 16-time tour-level champion, had reached a career-high World No. 7 during his 23-year career. He holds the record for the most wins (610) among Frenchmen in the Open Era.

With this win, Sinner, the reigning US Open and Australian Open champion, set a third-round meeting with Jiri Lehcka, whom he leads 2-0 in their ATP head-to-head series. Lehecka overcame Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the third round at Roland Garros for the first time in his career.

After recording straight-set wins against Arthur Rinderknech in the first round and Gasquet in the second, Sinner improved to 18-5 at Roland Garros, where he notably reached last year’s semifinal before falling to rival Carlos Alcaraz in a physical five-set tussle. The 23-year-old is aiming to become the first Italian men’s singles champion in the Open Era after Adriano Panatta in 1976.

“It’s obviously a very special place for me to play,” added Sinner, who also beat Gasquet in Paris last year. “Against Richard, we already played last year here, it’s always very tough. I’m generally very happy to be in the third round. Thank you guys for making it fair.”

There were moments of magic from Gasquet, who used his vintage one-handed backhand to carve out three break points when Sinner served out the first set at 5-3, sparking raucous cheers from the French fans on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Yet Sinner saved all three, according to Infosys Stats, and did not face another en route to a commanding victory.

–IANS

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