French Open: Jannik Sinner drops just 3 games to extend Grand Slam unbeaten run to 17 matches

PARIS (AP) - When Jannik Sinner’s opponent in the French Open’s third round finally won a single game Saturday, the Court Suzanne-Lenglen crowd responded with a standing ovation. Sinner was simply too good on this day, extending his Grand Slam winning streak to 17 matches and looking very much like the No. 1-ranked man.

Sinner dominated Jiri Lehecka 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 in just 1 hour, 34 minutes, the quickest men’s match at Roland-Garros this year and, measured by games lost, the most lopsided victory at a major tournament of Sinner’s career.

"We try to improve," Sinner said. "Today, I don't think there are many things I can improve."

Can say that again.

Check out some of the numbers: Sinner delivered 31 winners and made only nine unforced errors. He accumulated 18 break points, converting seven, and faced just one, which he saved.

The first 11 games went Sinner’s way. When Sinner missed a return wide, making the score 6-0, 5-1 after 55 minutes of action, Lehecka raised his arm and pumped his fist in a bit of sarcastic celebration. The fans went wild, rising out of their seats and clapping and shouting, eliciting a smile from Lehecka.

Make no mistake, though. Lehecka is no also-ran. The 23-year-old from the Czech Republic is ranked 34th and has been a Grand Slam quarterfinalist.

But he was completely overmatched by Sinner, who has won the past two major championships - at the U.S. Open in September and the Australian Open in January - and is now the owner of an unbeaten run at the sport’s most important tournaments that’s been surpassed this century only by a trio of guys by the names of Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Sinner’s bid for a first French Open title, and fourth Slam trophy overall, will continue Monday, when he’ll face No. 17 Andrey Rublev for a quarterfinal berth. Rublev advanced when his opponent, No. 14 Arthur Fils, withdrew from the tournament because a stress fracture in his lower back.

Jessica Pegula, the No. 3-seeded American who was the runner-up at the U.S. Open, came back to eliminate 2019 French Open finalist and 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 and reach the fourth round. No. 6 Mirra Andreeva, an 18-year-old Russian who reached the semifinals a year ago, advanced to a fourth-round showdown against No. 17 Daria Kasatkina. American qualifier Ethan Quinn, the 2023 NCAA champion for the University of Georgia, played his second consecutive five-setter and was beaten by Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-1, 6-4. Griekspoor came into the day 0-4 in third-round matches at majors.

No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and the two defending champions, Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, are all scheduled to appear in the fourth round Sunday. There are three American men in Week 2 in Paris for the first time since 1995, and all are in action: No. 12 Tommy Paul, No. 13 Ben Shelton and No. 15 Frances Tiafoe. Shelton faces Alcaraz, Paul goes up against No. 25 Alexei Popyrin, and Tiafoe meets Daniel Altmaier.