Jannik Sinner Triumphs Over Michelsen Amidst Doping Allegations

Top seed Jannik Sinner defeated American Alex Michelsen in straight sets at the U.S. Open. Despite ongoing doping allegations, from which he was cleared, Sinner showcased his dominance on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, securing his place in the third round. He awaits his next opponent in this final Grand Slam of the year.

Top seed Jannik Sinner defeated American Alex Michelsen 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 on Thursday to advance to the third round of the U.S. Open. The Italian player's doping case remains in the spotlight, despite being cleared of any wrongdoing. Sinner capitalized on eight of his 16 break-point opportunities to dispatch Michelsen in just 99 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Initially, Michelsen showed resilience, coming back twice from a break down in the first set. However, when Sinner broke for a third time to take a 5-4 lead, he swiftly closed out the tightly contested set. Sinner then found his rhythm in the second set, jumping to a 3-0 lead and maintaining control as Michelsen's serve faltered.

The third set saw Michelsen make a promising start, but Sinner remained focused, earning a critical break for a 3-2 lead and securing the victory. This win contrasted sharply with their previous encounter, which was much closer. Sinner, who has five ATP titles this year, will next face either Italy's Mattia Bellucci or Australia's Christopher O'Connell. Preceding the tournament, the International Tennis Integrity Agency revealed Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic agent in March but was not banned due to a ruling of no fault or negligence.

(With inputs from agencies.)