Jannik Sinner triumphed in straight sets at the US Open for the third match in a row, but he still had to battle very hard to overcome Tommy Paul, who impressed during the first two sets.
Sinner lost the first set of his opening round against Mackenzie McDonald. But he easily won the following nine sets he played, meaning the Italian had not been seriously tested heading into his meeting with Paul.
Nonetheless, Sinner deserves credit for his refocus since the revelation of his doping saga before the US Open started. The 23-year-old was cleared of wrongdoing, but the saga still causes debate in the tennis world.
Rafael Nadal recently commented on the incident, defending Sinner and saying he did not receive preferential treatment as the world's No. 1. By contrast, Simona Halep, who also had a doping scandal, felt she was treated differently to Sinner.
The Australian Open champion is seeking to fully put his story behind him by claiming his first US Open title. Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz's exits from the tournament have improved his chances of doing that.
However, Sinner started the match slowly and seemed surprised by the American's high level. Paul is known for his solidity from the baseline, but he struck the ball powerfully and made regular moves to the net.
Sinner also did not serve well in the opening stages of the match. He was broken twice to hand Paul a 4-1 and a double-break advantage, much to the delight of the loud home crowd on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Paul could not capitalize on that advantage, though. Sinner's level improved, winning four games in a row to retrieve the double break. A tiebreak eventually decided the set.
There were more extended and intense rallies in the tiebreak, but it was Paul who made a few more unforced errors in the crucial moments. The tiebreak ended 7-3 in Sinner's favor.
The quality of the rallies became even better during an exceptional second set. Paul had the edge during the rallies for most of the set and continued to make effective rushes to the net to rush the Italian.
Despite Paul's high level, Sinner did not face a break point during the set because of exceptional serving. The recent Cincinnati Open champion won an incredible 93% of points on his first serve during the second set.
The second also went to a tiebreak, and the two pivotal moments came at 5-4 up. Paul had a look at two second serves from Sinner but could not put either ball into court, which was uncharacteristic of him.
Sinner took advantage by securing the set on the next point to go 7-6, 7-6 up. It was a brutal setback for Paul, who found himself two sets behind despite playing so well in both sets.
Understandably, that was too much of a mental obstacle for Paul to overcome. The American was broken twice in the third to give Sinner a 7-6, 7-6, 6-1 win. It was a thoroughly enjoyable contest and an excellent test for Sinner, which he overcame with flying colors.
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