Sinner vs Lehecka: Things we learned

Third match close to perfection

Lehecka on paper presented a dangerous proposition having opened his season with a title in Brisbane, beaten Carlos Alcaraz in Doha and reached the quarter-finals in Hamburg last week.

Even when the Czech came within a point of holding his opening service game of the second set, Sinner threaded a fierce backhand onto the sideline and punched the volley deep into the corner.

It was one of those days – and there were many in recent seasons – when Sinner could not put a foot wrong and Lehecka, for everything he threw at the world No.1, looked like a deer in headlights.

The Italian's first ace of the match rubbed salt into the wound to complete a love hold for the first 11 games. When he rolled a rare backhand return wide in the next game, the Lenglen crowd rose to a standing ovation and Lehecka raised his fist to the sky in relief.

It was not the pressure release he had hoped for and he salvaged just two further games.

Birthday joy for coach Vagnozzi

The three games that Sinner conceded in his ruthless day out is the fewest he has surrendered in a Grand Slam match. That marker was previously the four he dropped against Sebastian Baez at last year’s Australian Open.

In 2022, on coach Simone Vagnozzi’s birthday, Sinner had to retire with a knee injury in the fourth round against Andrey Rublev.

Fighting fit this time round, this was a happier birthday gift.

“Today I was playing really, really well, especially two and a half sets, then he was serving actually very well, very brave, I was standing back,” Sinner said. “He made some very good serve-and-volleys, but yeah very, very happy.

“We played already a couple of times before so we both know a little bit what to expect. Simonne my coach has a birthday yesterday and usually when he has a birthday I never play good so lucky that I didn't play yesterday. Today this performance goes to him.” 

Sinner a second-week lock

While his great rival Alcaraz has lifted the trophy at three of the four majors already and Sinner at two of the four, the Italian has built a more consistent first-week record across all four Grand Slams.

He is the only player to have reached the fourth round at each of the past eight majors, since Wimbledon 2023.

The last player to defeat him at an earlier stage in Paris was German Daniel Altmaier in the second round in 2023.

Sinner became the fourth player to win 17 or more straight Grand Slam singles matches since 2000 after Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic and tied Fabio Fognini’s 71 wins for the most by an Italian at the majors in the Open era.

Sinner wary of 'favourite' label

In contrast to Alcaraz, who needed four sets to keep 56th-ranked Fabian Marozsan and 69th-ranked Damir Dzumhur at bay just to reach the fourth round, Sinner has breezed through to the second week.

It bodes well for the 23-year-old, who emphasised the need to conserve energy in the early rounds given it was just his second event since the Australian Open in January.

In Rome leading in, he playing a similarly flawless match against Casper Ruud only to struggle early in the semi-final against Tommy Paul.

His fourth-round opponent, Rublev, had the benefit of an extra day off after Arthur Fils withdrew.

“Things can change so quickly from one day to the other,” Sinner said. “We saw this in Rome. Nobody believed me, but you know, I was in half an hour, I lost the first set 6-1. So I have to be very careful. Andrey is an incredible player. I have to be focused. He's rested, so let's see what's coming.”