Jannik Sinner once again demonstrated on Sunday that he has no opponent at the moment. At 23 years of age, he won his third ‘Grand Slam’ title in a year after beating Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3. He is one behind Carlos Alcaraz, with whom he is set to maintain the new tennis rivalry. The two of them have shared the last five major racket sport titles: three for Sinner and two for Carlitos.
The defense of the crown (11th in the Open Era) guarantees the Italian to continue dominating the circuit until the clay court tour. In fact, he will surpass in February the 36 weeks at the top of Alcaraz. The two will meet again in Rotterdam (3-9) and then in Doha (17-22).
Sinner closed his first two service games without dropping a single point. That gave him enormous peace of mind. Zverev, however, was also strong in the setting of the ball. In his favor, an average of first serves at 205.9 kilometers per hour. He saved two break points in the fourth game. Any detail could cost the first set. There was not a pin in the Rod Laver Arena. The fans, with the ‘Big Three’ out of action, did not have a clear favorite. This was reflected in the indifference with which they received the two finalists.
It was Australia Day and that gave a festive flavour to everything that happened. Matches used to be stopped for fireworks, but that is no longer the case because the Melbourne government changed the location of the show.
The equality was maintained until the eighth round. That was the moment chosen by the number one to start marking the differences between a ‘Grand Slam’ champion and an eternal aspirant. Sinner manufactured the third break option after returning a serve at 217 kilometers per hour: 4-3 and 15-40. His opponent saved that situation and up to a fifth break ball. So much goes the pitcher to the source that in the end it breaks. And it broke on the sixth attempt. It was with a right-handed passer.
The scoreboard reflected what was happening. Jannik is, since last summer, the best tennis player on the planet. He has 21 victories in a row and it is a fact that is not given away. It is the result of a regularity that Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and the current Sinner had.
It had been hot in the Victorian capital during the day, but at night it was cold. It was not above 21 degrees. Zverev, as always when under pressure, was erratic with his forehand. As a good homogeneous player, his thing is the backhand. Some nostalgic shouted “vamos Rafa”. Nerves got the better of Sascha’s racket, and he committed a double fault that left the score at 1-1 and 15-40. The German clung to what he had left: mastery with the backhand.
Zverev was able to beat Nadal at Roland Garros and Djokovic in Australia. But he could not beat Sinner. The Hamburg tennis player tried everything. When he saw that he could not do it from the back of the court, he went to the net. On each attempt he found a passing shot of higher quality than the previous one. If you don’t concede a single break point you have a good chance of winning and that’s the formula the San Candido native stuck to.
The closest the German came to unsettling Jannik was at 5-4 and 0-30. He was two points away from the second set. Sascha, at least, ensured the tiebreak.
The final point
For Sinner it was also the point of the final. An eternal exchange at 6-5 and 30-30. If he had lost it, he would have had to face the first break and set point.
In the tie-break, the better player usually wins and that was the Italian, who also had luck on his side. With 4-4, the net gave him a key point after spitting the ball to the side of his victim. With two sets to love, the king of Australia went straight for it. Glory was his after another backhand pass. The next major awaits at Roland Garros, the clay court dominated by the Spaniards. Third time was not the charm for Zverev either.