Jannik Sinner earned his first Major win as a Major champion, beating Chris Eubanks in the first round at Roland Garros. Jannik played his first encounter after withdrawing from the Madrid Masters due to a hip injury.
Not willing to risk anything, the Italian skipped the home Rome Masters and worked hard on his comeback.
Jannik was happy about his performance against Chris, beating him 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in two hours and nine minutes and notching his eighth consecutive Major victory.
World no. 2 revealed his hip felt fine, causing him no issues. Despite not feeling 100%, Jannik expressed gratitude for coming to Paris and competing, praising his team and their effort to help him overcome an injury.
Chris struggled behind the initial shot, spraying nine double faults and dropping almost half of the points in his games. Jannik seized five out of ten break points, controlling the pace and moving into the second round.
The American suffered only two breaks in sets two and three, but it was enough to propel the Italian through. They completed the opening two sets before resuming with a roof above Court Suzanne-Lenglen due to rain. Sinner landed 33 winners and 24 unforced errors, welcoming 42 mistakes from his rival.
Eubanks stayed in touch in the mid-range exchanges, and world no. 2 made the difference in the crucial rallies up to four strokes. Chris held after a deuce in the first game of the encounter after firing up his forehand, and Jannik leveled the score at 1-1 with a hold at love in the next one.
The Italian stepped in on the return in the third game and created two break points with a drop shot winner.
The American played a wayward forehand, losing serve and experiencing an early setback.
Jannik embraced another hold at love in game four, cementing the lead and moving 3-1 in front. Playing well, Sinner overpowered Eubanks from the baseline in the fifth game, earning two more break points. He landed a deep return and drew the rival’s mistake, delivering his second break and extending the advantage.
Chris finally showed something more on the return in game six, firing a backhand down the line winner and generating two break points. Eubanks converted the first after Sinner’s double fault, reducing the deficit before facing another break point in the seventh game.
The American saved it with a forehand attack and held, standing 4-3 behind. The Italian left that opportunity behind and grabbed the eighth game with a service winner, opening a 5-3 gap and keeping the pressure on the other side.
Chris failed to seize a game point and faced a set point after Jannik’s forehand winner. Eubanks suffered a break after a double fault, sending Sinner 6-3 up after 38 minutes.
World no. 2 clinched the first game of the second set with an ace and generated three break points in the next one with a backhand winner. Jannik converted the second with a forced error and denied a break chance in the next one with a service winner, closing it with a smash winner and forging a 3-0 lead.
The Italian grabbed the fifth game with a powerful serve and created a break chance at 4-1. The American canceled it with a forehand winner and held with another, staying within one break deficit. Sinner moved 5-2 up with another unreturned serve, and Eubanks prolonged the set with a forehand winner a few minutes later.
