Jannik Sinner claimed victory on
Tuesday night in the first round of the US Open over Mackenzie
McDonald, 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2.
The world number one beat US player Mackenzie McDonald (No. 140)
at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, surviving a scare after being a set
and a break down.
The Italian player then moved through in two hours and 24
minutes.
He now faces Winston-Salem finalist Alex Michelsen in the second
round.
Sinner, who missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsilitis, played
two tournaments on the American hard-court swing before arriving
at Flushing Meadows.
He lost to Andrey Rublev in the quarter-finals of the Canadian
Open before winning in Cincinnati, beating Rublev in the last
eight and then overcoming Alexander Zverev and Frances Tiafoe,
respectively in the semi-finals and final.
"The last period hasn't been simple for me", said the player,
who sacked last week the two members of his physical preparation
staff he blames for an illegal steroid he tested positive for
twice in March.
The 23-year-old was spared a ban due to its inadvertent
application in a massage cream.
"I think that, with my team, we are now slowly trying to get
back to normal".
Sinner noted he was happy Italian player Matteo Berrettini had
expressed admiration for him, saying it was a "great honour".
"I would never do anything wrong", added Sinner, explaining that
he wasn't enjoying playing anymore prior to the sentence and
thanking "those who remained close to me, because they always
treated me in a normal way".
The South Tyrolean has fired trainer Umberto Ferrara and physio
Giacomo Naldi for inadvertently putting the substance,
Clostebol, into his system at Indian Wells, a tournament from
which he was docked prize money and points due to the positive
tests.
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