Italy’s young tennis sensation Jannik Sinner was stunned by Germany’s Daniel Altmaier in the second round of the ongoing Roland Garros on Thursday. The German surprised the Italian by 6-7, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5 in a five-set match thrilling battle.
Both players battled for five hours and 26 minutes but it was the German who had the final laugh. Sinner admitted he had his opportunities but he could not grab them. The youngster vowed to make a strong comeback in the upcoming tournaments.
“I had my opportunities. I couldn’t find a right way how to win the points,” said Sinner, who squandered two match points in the fourth set. “I was a little bit unfortunate at some points. But this is the sport. I will come back stronger.
“I knew it was a tough last two tournaments. I put a little bit too much expectations or pressure [on myself], it’s part of the game. I feel like the season is going good. I played a lot of matches… It is a tough one to swallow, but I [will] keep going.”
Sinner had 8-3 record on clay this season. In fact, the Italian had made it to the semifinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters but faced a fourth-round exit in Rome. Earlier, Sinner made it to the semifinals of Indian Wells and the final of the Miami Open but could cross the last hurdle against Daniil Medvedev.
He had withdrawn from Barcelona Open due to injury but revealed he was feeling fit mentally while coming into the French Open.
“I felt very prepared for here. Mentally I felt good. Physically we were working hard,” Sinner said. “Long, long practice sessions. It’s tough when you work so hard and you don’t take the reward. But this is not a sprint. This sport is a marathon. I will keep going with the hard work, and I will also get my rewards. This was, it’s a tough one, yes, but it doesn’t end here.”
Sinner, who has a 29-8 record this season, added that qualifying for Nitto ATP Finals in Turin is his main goal.
“This year we set a goal to go to Turin,” Sinner said. “Also, a little bit you have to watch out for the results, but I also feel like I have lots of things where I can improve still.”
