Jiri Lehecka aims to end Jannik Sinner's winning streak at Grand Slams as the 23-year-olds meet in Saturday's French Open third-round clash.
The Czech player has never taken a set off the top seed but hopes to carry momentum from a comfortable passage in Paris into another encounter with an opponent who has not lost at a Major since Wimbledon last year.
Match preview
© Imago
Sinner was widely expected to defeat Richard Gasquet in three sets in Thursday's second round, and the Italian star achieved a straightforward victory, winning 6-3, 6-0, 6-4 against the veteran in his last match.
The second-round win means the 23-year-old has secured 16 consecutive triumphs in Majors since his defeat to Daniil Medvedev in the quarter-final at last year's Wimbledon.
Since that loss, the No. 1 player on the men's tour has claimed titles at the US Open and in Australia, followed by victories over two French players at the ongoing Slam.
The Italian, who became the youngest player (23 years and 282 days) since Rafael Nadal (22 years and 83 days) in 2008 to achieve 16 straight wins at Slams, is now seeking a 17th to advance to the fourth round.
Only Carlos Alcaraz has beaten Sinner in 2025, emphasising the top seed's dominance entering the second Slam of the season, and he aims to move a step closer to claiming the most prestigious clay title of his career by clinching another victory.
© Iconsport
Lehecka, seeking to put an end to the world No. 1's winning streak, enters this match with a clay season that may have been lacklustre prior to his consecutive victories in Paris.
The former world No. 22's best performance in the lead-up tournaments occurred in Hamburg this month, where he made it to the quarter-finals before being defeated by Tomas Martin Etcheverry in straight sets.
The Czech player has brought the momentum from his deepest run on clay into Roland Garros, securing wins over Jordan Thompson and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to advance to the third round of this event for the first time.
The only blemish in the first two rounds came in set two against Davidovich Fokina, yet the 23-year-old responded emphatically, conceding just three more games to secure a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 victory over the Spaniard.
Having never reached this stage in Paris before, Lehecka's encouraging performance already counts as a success for the two-time ATP titlist, who is eager to upset the top seed on Saturday to set up an enticing fourth-round clash against either Andrey Rublev or Arthur Fils.
Tournament so far
Jannik Sinner:
First round: vs. Arthur Rinderknech 6-4 6-3 7-5
Second round: vs. Richard Gasquet
Jiri Lehecka:
First round: vs. Jordan Thompson 6-4 6-2 6-1
Second round: vs. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-3 3-6 6-1 6-2
Head To Head
Beijing (2024) - Quarter-final: Sinner 6-2 7-6(6)
Indian Wells (2024) - Quarter-final: Sinner 6-3 6-3
Sinner leads 2-0 in his head-to-head with Lehecka before their third encounter on the ATP Tour.
Although both matchups last year were played on hard courts, where the Italian is nearly impenetrable, the pair faced off on clay in the Challenger Circuit in 2019, with the current world No. 1 winning that contest in straight sets.
Offering encouragement to Lehecka is his commendable improvement against the top 10 since the start of last season, evidenced by his five wins in 11 against the elite players, having claimed just two wins from his first 13 against such opponents.
We say: Sinner to win in four sets
While few players return as well as Sinner on the tour, Lehecka's ability to serve aces should allow the Czech player to win some easy points on serve and possibly take a set.
Nonetheless, the top seed is likely to have too much for the world No. 34, thereby extending his 16-match winning streak at the Majors.
