Sinner struggles with illness, low energy as Cerundolo shocks French Open favourite in second round

PARIS, May 28 : Jannik Sinner's bid for a maiden French Open title and career Grand Slam went up in smoke on a scorching Thursday as the world number one struggled with illness and a lack of energy in a 3-6 2-6 7-5 6-1 6-1 second-round loss to Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

Sinner arrived in Paris as the hot favourite for the title after claycourt triumphs in Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome, with his main rival and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz ruled out with injury and Novak Djokovic searching for his best form.

But Cerundolo tore up the script in a dramatic clash where he held his nerve even as last year's runner-up Sinner crumbled while on the verge of a big victory, sending shockwaves through Roland Garros.

"I started to feel very dizzy," Sinner told a packed press conference.

"I tried to serve it out, but didn't have a lot of energy. In the fourth set, I let it go a little bit trying to have a bit more energy in the fifth. It was an important game, the first one. I couldn't hold. Then it went a bit downwards.

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

STREAKS BROKEN

Sinner's loss ended his 30-match winning run going back to March and also snapped the nine-Grand-Slam streak of 'Sincaraz' championship victories, but the early signs on Thursday hardly pointed to anything other than a comfortable outing.

As the temperature climbed over the 30 degrees Celsius mark for the first time in the afternoon, Sinner had already breezed through the first set on the back of a solitary break, and the 24-year-old Italian looked to be in cruise mode.

"It was warm, but not crazy warm," Sinner added.

"I feel like it