French Open 2022: Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald preview, head-to-head, prediction, odds and pick | Roland Garros
Match Details
Fixture: (11) Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald
Tournament: French Open 2022
Date: 28 May 2022
Round: Third round (Round of 32)
Venue: Paris, France
Category: Grand Slam
Surface: Outdoor clay
Prize money: €21,256,800
Live telecast: USA - Tennis Channel, NBC Sports and Peacock TV | Canada - TSN | UK - Eurosport | India - Sony Ten.
Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald preview
Jannik Sinner and Mackenzie McDonald will face off in the third round of the 2022 French Open on Saturday.
Sinner started off with a straight-sets win over Bjorn Fratangelo, but needed to dig deep to get past Roberto Carballes Baena in the second round. The Italian lost serve twice in the opening set. He managed to wrestle back one of the breaks, but dropped his serve in the next game to surrender the set.
Sinner managed to snag an early break in the second. The lead stayed with the Italian until the end and he saved three break points while serving for the set before winning it. The Italian broke Carballes Baena in the opening game of the third and it was all he needed to snatch the set.
Sinner lost the first couple of games of the fourth set, but won the next four to lead 4-2. He broke his opponent's serve in the last game of the match to win the contest 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
@janniksin comes back to defeat Carballes Baena 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to reach R3!
Don't count him out! 💪 @janniksin comes back to defeat Carballes Baena 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 to reach R3!
@rolandgarros | #RolandGarros https://t.co/YNTDUqk18y
After requiring four sets to get past lucky loser Franco Agamenone in the first round, Mackenzie McDonald had a much easier time in the second round.
The American took on 22nd seed Nikoloz Basilashvili and started by breaking his opponent's serve in the very first game of the match. Basilashvili soon leveled the score at 3-3, but the American won the next three games to nab the opener.
The second set was quite one-sided. McDonald raced to a 5-0 lead before Basilashvili finally got on the scoreboard. The 27-year-old then easily served out the set to further extend his lead.
Basilashvili showed some signs of a comeback by building a 4-1 lead in the third set. However, McDonald won the next five games to clinch the match 6-3, 6-1, 6-4 and reach the third round in Paris for the first time.
Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald head-to-head
Sinner leads McDonald 1-0 in the head-to-head. He won their only encounter in the final of last year's Washington Open in three sets.
Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald odds
All odds are sourced from BetMGM.
Jannik Sinner vs Mackenzie McDonald prediction
Sinner's high ranking and better resume on clay make him the favorite to come through this contest. The Italian is a former quarterfinalist in Paris, while McDonald has reached the third round for the first time.
Sinner got off to a slow start in his second-round contest against Carballes Baena. but the Italian made the requisite adjustments and adapted his game. The Italian has tremendous power off both wings and likes to take the ball on the rise to take time away from his opponent. His serve is also a weapon.
McDonald went 7/25 on break points in his second-round match against Basilashvili. Sinner's a far better server than the Georgian, so the American will need to capitalize on the opportunities he does create.
McDonald lacks the firepower Sinner possesses on his groundstrokes. Moreover, the Italian's better movement and consistency from the back of the court tilt the scales firmly in his favor.
Pick: Sinner to win in straight sets.