Sinner's exit rocks French Open but Sabalenka and Gauff surge ahead

PARIS, May 28 : Jannik Sinner's stunning Roland Garros exit shattered what had shaped up as one of the most predictable French Opens since Rafa Nadal's era, throwing the men's draw wide open on Thursday to leave it as finely balanced as the women's field.

Sinner's 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 second-round defeat by Juan Manuel Cerundolo was not just a collapse in a single match but the unravelling of a campaign that had seemed almost inevitable after he claimed titles in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome.

The world number one arrived in Paris as the firm favourite, a tag long associated with retired 14-times champion Nadal, with defending champion Carlos Alcaraz pulling out injured and three-times winner Novak Djokovic searching for his best form.

All of that went to dust in a collapse to Cerundolo on Court Philippe Chatrier, after Sinner held a two-sets lead and was up 5-1 in the third set, when the toll of a long claycourt season finally caught up with the Italian.

"I struggled, started to feel very dizzy," said Sinner, who will have to try next year to win a maiden French Open title and complete the career Grand Slam.

"I was very low of energy. I tried to serve it out (in the third set) but didn't have a lot of energy.

"I woke up this morning, didn't feel very well and tried to keep the points very short. Also in the beginning, I was hitting very clean, very good, and then I just hit the wall, that's it."

MENTALLY STRONG

Cerundolo said he had needed to stay mentally strong while Sinner dealt with a range of problems, including what he believed was a bout of cramp, while his elder brother Francisco was rejuvenated by news of the win and beat Hugo Gaston 2-6 6-4 6-2 6-1.

"I'm super happy with the match," the younger Cerundolo said after his