MATCH REPORT | 2023 PARIS MASTERS Jannik SINNER overcomes McDonald in thrilling second round match

Jannik Sinner made a successful debut at the Paris Masters, defeating Mackenzie McDonald 6-4, 7-6 to secure his spot in the round of 16.

Sinner, who has been having a stellar year with titles at the Masters 1000 Shanghai Open and the ATP 500 Vienna Open, showcased his skills once again in this tournament.

On the other side, world No. 4 Mackenzie McDonald withdrew from Vienna before his debut and began his Paris-Bercy journey with a hard-fought victory over fellow American J.J. Wolf, with a score of 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In the first set, Sinner was nearly flawless with his serves, winning five out of six service games without dropping a point. Until it reached 4-4, there was only one break point, in favor of Sinner, but McDonald managed to save it.

The Italian young star secured a break in the ninth game and had the opportunity to serve for the set, but he succumbed to the pressure from his opponent, allowing McDonald to break without conceding a point. The set extended to a tie-break, where the American took the lead with a score of 7-6(6).

In the second set, Sinner took the initiative in his return games and earned a couple of break points, although he couldn't convert them. The Italian didn't face any issues with his serve throughout the set and capitalized on McDonald's errors in the 12th game, winning the set 7-5 to level the match.

However, McDonald couldn't maintain his consistency in the final set, losing his serve twice consecutively in the fourth and sixth games. Ultimately, he succumbed to the third match point from his opponent, and Sinner emerged victorious in a challenging match, with a final score of 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1.

Sinner's next opponent in the round of 16 is the 13th seed, Alex de Minaur, who advanced by defeating Andy Murray and Dusan Lajovic on his way to this stage of the tournament.