Jannik Sinner said his great rival Carlos Alcaraz was the favourite in every tournament after the Italian world number one continued his bid to retain his US Open title with a straight sets second round win over Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
    South Tyrolean Sinner, 24, said of five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, 22: "He knows how to play on every surface.

He's the favourite in every tournament he plays." Sinner went on to say that his third-round match against Canada's Denis Shapovalov will be a "tough match.
    "He's unpredictable and physically strong.
    "He has potential, and I have to be careful.
    "It will be a fairly tactical match; it's crucial that I start serving better.

Then we'll see," he added.
    "I know how much is at stake, I'll do my best." Sinner last faced Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Open final, where he retired with a virus in the first set.
    The lanky Italian has won two of this year's slams, the Aussie Open and Wimbledon, defeating Alcaraz, and lost the third, the French Open, to Alcaraz after holding three championship points.
   
   

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