By Julien Pretot
PARIS, May 26 (Reuters) – World number one Jannik Sinner started his campaign for a maiden French Open title in merciless fashion, beating Frenchman Clement Tabur 6-1 6-3 6-4 to reach the second round on Tuesday.
The Italian, the overwhelming favourite for the title in the absence of injured two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, was all business on Court Philippe-Chatrier’s night session, suffocating Tabur with relentless depth and pace from the baseline.
By the time the Paris sun finally dipped below the western stands, Sinner was already one game away from a two-set lead.
The 24-year-old came into Roland Garros on a 29-match winning streak in which he had dropped only three sets, having also completed his full set of Masters 1000 titles earlier this month.
Against Tabur, there was little sign of vulnerability.
Sinner broke immediately to open a 2-0 lead and snatched the Frenchman’s serve again to go ahead 4-1 in a blistering start. A booming forehand sealed the opening set before the Italian raced through the second almost without breaking sweat.
Sweating heavily and backed loudly by the Chatrier crowd, Tabur — making only his second Grand Slam main-draw appearance — showed greater freedom in the third set.
The world number 171 produced some fine shot-making that drew roars from the stands and briefly irritated Sinner, who flashed occasional signs of frustration after a handful of missed returns and baseline errors.
But the Italian quickly restored order, his superior weight of shot and relentless precision eventually suffocating the resistance.
“I’m happy to be back here, where I have great memories. Overall the first round matches are never easy,” Sinner said before addressing the crowd directly.
“Thanks for coming, thanks for the support and thanks for being fair to me. I know I was playing a Frenchman.”
(Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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