Jannik Sinner, the defending US Open champion, came from behind to beat 27th seed Denis Shapovalov and reach the fourth round with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 victory.
The 24-year-old Italian, currently world number one, has now won 24 matches in a row at Grand Slam events played on hard courts, a run that includes two Australian Open titles and last year’s US Open win.
“It was a really tough match,” Sinner said. “I’ve known Denis for a long time. We’ve both improved a lot since we last played, and I had to be at my best to win today.”
Sinner had a shaky start, double-faulting at 2-5 in the first set. Though he broke back with a brilliant lob, another double fault handed the first set to Shapovalov.
As the court fell into shadow, Sinner found his rhythm. He levelled the match with a solid second set, then won six games in a row to take control in the third. By the fourth set, Shapovalov was clearly frustrated, while Sinner remained calm and sealed the win.
He’ll now face either Tommy Paul or Alexander Bublik in the next round.
Looking ahead, Sinner said: “Week two of a Slam is always different, physically, mentally, everything changes. But it’s special to be here. This tournament means a lot to me.”
