Sinner stunned by Cerundolo in French Open 2nd round

World number one and top seed Jannik Sinner suffered a second-round exit at the French Open on Thursday, squandering a two-set lead in a 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 defeat to Argentina's Juan Manuel Cerundolo, reported Xinhua.

The Italian appeared firmly on course for victory after dominating the opening two sets and moving within one game of the match at 5-4 in the third set. However, Sinner's level dropped sharply as the match wore on under intense heat in Paris, allowing Cerundolo to complete a remarkable comeback after more than three hours on Court Philippe Chatrier.

Temperatures climbed above 30 degrees Celsius during the afternoon session, and Sinner showed visible signs of physical discomfort. The four-time Grand Slam champion repeatedly bent over between points, used ice packs and a hand-held fan during changeovers, and took a medical timeout late in the third set.

The defeat marked a dramatic end to a dominant run by the 24-year-old Italian, who arrived at Roland Garros on a 30-match winning streak dating back to February. Widely regarded as the title favorite following defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's withdrawal due to a wrist injury, Sinner had won Masters titles this season in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome. Earlier this month, he also became only the second player after Novak Djokovic to complete a Career Golden Masters by winning all nine ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.

Cerundolo, ranked 56th in the world, produced one of the biggest upsets of this year's tournament to advance to the third round. With Sinner eliminated and Alcaraz absent, the men's draw at Roland Garros has been thrown wide open.