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Janic Ciner sensationally crashed out of the French Open after suffering cramp while playing for the match during his second-round clash against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
The world number one and Roland-Garros hot favorite was struggling during the third set, losing 15 points in a row before calling for a medical timeout and treatment in the middle of a game. He led 6-3 6-2 5-1 and served for the match.
Courtside mics also captured Sinner feeling dizzy and nauseous as he fell 0-40 while serving. The Italian led 5-1 in the third but lost the next six games before and after treatment to lose the set 7-5.
Cena was broken twice in the fourth set and his body continued to fail him, seeing Cerundolo break straight before the final set and, barring a few nervy moments, won the match 6-1.
Cena was on a 30-match winning streak that stretched into February and was an overwhelming favorite to reach his second Grand Slam of the season – especially with two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz out due to a right wrist injury.
Papi slumped several times on the clay court in apparent exhaustion and rarely ran for shots as the match wore on, resorting to drop shots and serve-and-volley tactics to try to narrow down points.
He tried to cool himself with a hand fan in the changeover and put an ice bag around his neck.
The temperature at the start of the match was 29 degrees and later it rose to 32 degrees.
Sinner: It wasn’t the heat – ‘I didn’t feel well and had no energy when I woke up’
“I didn’t feel very good on the court,” Cena said afterward. “I struggled, started feeling very dizzy, very low energy.
“I tried to serve it but didn’t have much energy. In the fourth set, I let it go a little bit trying to get a little more energy in the fifth set. The first one was a very important game and I couldn’t hold on. Then it went downhill a little bit.
“I woke up this morning, didn’t feel very good and tried to keep the points very short. Also in the beginning I was hitting very clean, very well and then I hit the wall, and that was it.
“In the middle of the third set, although I was playing some great tennis, I wasn’t really finding any energy today.
“It was a tough spot to be in. But, again, that’s the game. It was warm but not crazy hot. I think it was a pretty good game. It wasn’t really anything against the heat, nothing against the weather. It was just me today, but it happens.
“I always try to look at the positive side. If you look at the whole clay swing, (it went) very well. I played really well, won three tournaments in a row on clay.
“Coming here, the way I was playing tennis, I felt very good, hitting the ball well, moving well and today was not meant to be.
“I think a lot of things came together to cause this problem today, but again, it can happen.
“I just need time now to process what went wrong here and also to be positive that we can practice well in the few weeks before Wimbledon.”
Regarding suggestions that he played too much in the lead-up to Roland Garros, Sinner said: “You never know. I mean, if I don’t play in Madrid or if I don’t play in Rome, maybe I’ll come here and I’ll still have a day where you feel sick.
“So looking back, it’s always very difficult.
“I’ve won three tournaments on clay. Incredible results. It’s an amazing streak for me. Of course, at the beginning of the year, that’s my main goal here.
“It wasn’t what I was looking for to leave so early, but you also don’t know if things would have changed if I had skipped Madrid and only played in Rome or maybe skipped Rome and come here. You never know.”
On the same court as Philippe-Chatrier, Ciner squandered three match points in last year’s final against Alcaraz before losing the title match in a fifth-set tiebreaker.
Ciner also struggled in the heat at the Australian Open against Elliott Spizziri in January. The roof was off and the third round match changed course.
“It’s tough for him. He was winning matches. I didn’t win more than three games (in either of the first two sets),” Cerundolo said.
“I think I was a bit lucky, I feel sorry for him. He was serving to win this match, but then I don’t know what happened. I think maybe he was cramping, or it was the pressure of the match, I don’t know.
“But of course I’m sorry for him and I hope he recovers. I’m very happy. I’ll keep trying to do my best. I hope to be ready for the next match.”
French teenager Koumé is about to make history
Elsewhere, the French 17-year-old Moise Koume Paraguayan Adolfo Daniel Vallejo became the fifth-youngest man to reach the third round of a Grand Slam 6-3 7-5 3-6 2-6 7-6 (10-8) in a nearly five-hour French Open match on Wednesday.
Kouame, ranked 318th in the world and playing in his first Grand Slam courtesy of a wildcard, showed remarkable composure and resilience to claim the first five-set win of his fledgling career.
Koume is the fifth-youngest player to reach the third round at Roland-Garros since the Open Era began in 1968. The youngest is American Michael Chang, who achieved the feat in 1988 at the age of 16.
Fourth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime’s hopes are still alive after beating Roman Andres Buruchaga 4-6 6-0 7-5 6-1 but fifth seed Ben Shelton crashed out after losing 6-4 7-5 6-4 to Belgium’s Raphael Collignon.
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