Top-ranked Jannik Sinner bounced from French Open in 2nd round

Overwhelming favorite Jannik Sinner is out of the French Open in the second round.

The top-ranked Sinner struggled with dizziness amid the heat wave in Paris and lost to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 after wasting a chance to serve for the match on Thursday.

"I didn't feel very well on court," Sinner said. "I struggled, starting to feel very dizzy, very low on energy."

Sinner said when he woke up on Thursday he "didn't feel very well."

Sinner was on a 30-match winning streak stretching back to February and he was widely expected to complete a career Grand Slam by taking the only big title missing in his tennis career — especially with two-time reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz out due to an injured right wrist.

Sinner bent over on the clay court in apparent exhaustion multiple times and was hardly even running for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try and shorten the points.

He attempted to cool himself with a hand-held fan on changeovers and put bags of ice around his neck.

The temperature at the start of the match was 29 C and rose to 32 C.

"It was warm but not crazy warm," Sinner said. "I feel like it was quite OK to play. Really it was nothing against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens."

Cerundolo didn't celebrate too much when it was over, just producing a little wave to the crowd.

"It's tough for him," Cerundolo said. "I couldn't win more than three games by set. So I think I was a little bit lucky... He was deserving to win in this match. But then I don't know what happened... I feel sorry for him and hope he recovers."

Sinner led by two sets and 5-1. When he served for the match a second time at 5-4, 0-40, he bent over and then walked to his chair. He asked for assistance and left the court. His entire light blue outfit was soaked through with sweat.

After losing the set 7-5, Sinner received medical attention and left the court. Minerals were added to his drink when he returned but Sinner wasn't able to recuperate.

Sinner last lost on Feb. 19 in the Qatar Open quarterfinals. He had won five straight Masters titles and hardly dropped a set.

But he has a history of struggling in the heat. He admitted he was lucky at the Australian Open in January against Eliot Spizzirri when the roof was closed and the third-round match swung his way.

Sinner had to retire from a match in Shanghai in October that was contested amid extreme heat.

On the same Court Philippe Chatrier last year, Sinner wasted three match points against Alcaraz and lost an epic final.

Auger-Aliassime advances to 3rd round

Canadian tennis star Felix Auger-Aliassime came back from a set down to post a 4-6, 6-0, 7-5, 6-1 win over Argentina's Roman Andres Burruchaga in second-round action Thursday at the French Open.

The fourth seed from Montreal broke Burruchaga seven times on 10 chances and was dominant on serve, converting 85 per cent of first serve points and firing seven aces.

Burruchaga had opportunities to challenge Auger-Aliassime's serve but converted just two of his eight chances to break.

Auger-Aliassime also won five games to love, compared to just one for Burruchaga

Auger-Aliassime, who is looking to advance past the fourth round at the clay-court Grand Slam for the first time, will next face the winner of a match between 31st-seed Brandon Nakashima of the United States and Luca Van Assche of France.

In women's action, ninth seed Victoria Mboko of Montreal faced Czech veteran Katerina Siniakova.

17-year-old advances

In other matches, 17-year-old Frenchman Moise Kouame became the youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam since Rafael Nadal was also 17 at 2003 Wimbledon after beating Adolfo Daniel Vallejo 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, 2-6, 7-6 (8).

And Cerundolo's older brother, Francisco, beat Hugo Gaston 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.

In women's action, Naomi Osaka put on another fashion show for her walk-on before beating Donna Vekic 7-6 (1), 6-4.

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