World No. 56 Juan Manuel Cerundolo said he tried to stay mentally focused when Jannik Sinner was struggling with the heat during their round two match at Roland Garros on Thursday. Sinner was leading by two sets and had a 5-1 lead in the third set before he started feeling dizzy.
Cerundolo was quick to pounce on the opportunity when he noted that the World No.1 was struggling physically. The Argentine lifted his level and registered one of the biggest wins of his career.
Eventually, Cerundolo registered a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 victory, snapping Sinner’s 30-match winning streak.
“Of course, I’m super happy with the match,” the 24-year-old Cerundolo after earning his maiden victory against a Top-10 opponent, let alone a World No. 1. “I mean, the match was almost lost, but of course, I stayed mentally during the whole match. I was prepared for battling as long as it takes. I was lucky that he cramped and his level went down, but of course, mine went up.
“I stayed mentally really focused on the match, trying to do my best every ball. I am super happy for making the win.”
The Argentine revealed he noted that Sinner’s body was betraying him at the start of the third set and thus he was able to capitalise on his opportunity.
“I started to see him [at] maybe 3-0 or the beginning of the third,” Cerundolo said. “I noticed that he started to make different kinds of serve and volleys to make the points shorter, then started to hit big forehands, like they were out of position, trying to also get the points short. So I started to notice that something wasn’t good, because I mean, he was beating me pretty easy, I have to say. Why should he change the tactic and make the points shorter if he doesn’t need to? I started to feel [something was different].
“Then he kind of moved his legs to do something, and also I think his team started to cheer him up. I thought, ‘Something’s weird. Doesn’t seem like [it matches] the score’. It was 6-3, 6-2, 3-0, and why all that, you know? So I started to notice a little bit, and I tried to fight a lot to stay mentally [with it] and to keep pushing, to play my best and see if maybe he went a little bit down and try to make my best. Of course, that happened, and the thing that was the key for me to stay mentally and to come back from that score.”
Cerundolo was able to keep his nerves when it mattered the most and delivered, as it is never easy to play against an ailing player.
Cerundolo will take on Martin Landaluce in the third round on Saturday.
