2024-01-28 13:17:26
Stunning Jannik Sinner! Italy has been waiting for this for 48 years. Led two sets to nothing by Daniil Medvedev for his first Grand Slam final, the world No. 4, 22, knew how to keep his nerves, his lucidity and his courage to succeed in turning around a very poorly started match (3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3).
A real feat, two days after driving out of Melbourne the master of the place Novak Djokovic, ten-time winner of the tournament. And a real nightmare for his opponent, at the end of his rope physically after a long fortnight and who found himself in the same situation against Nadal, in the same place, in 2022.
“I will try to offer that to my people next time,” said Medvedev, dignified in defeat. It hurts a lot to lose in the final… but it’s certainly better than losing before! »
From the first exchanges, unlike his semi-final against Zverev, Medvedev took matters in hand. A bit like a middle-distance runner who would have gone into a sprint. Camped on his baseline, aggressive, offensive, the Russian relies on the nervousness and feverishness of his opponent, a novice at this level, to quickly make the difference. And it works. Overwhelmed, Sinner, impeccable knocker of Djokovic in the previous round, gave up his serve in the third game… for barely the third time since the start of the tournament!
Medvedev’s physique ends up failing
Well on his feet despite almost six more hours spent on the Australian courts during the fortnight (8:33 p.m. versus 2:44 p.m.), the most French of the Moscow players takes risks, dictates the rallies and lines up the aces. On his third double break and set point, the world No. 3 ended up breaking the Italian at the end of a long rally (6-3 in 36′).
With a shutout on his faceoff, Medvedev sets the tone for the second round. And continues to put the pressure on to quickly score four 2-0 points. Which he notably lets slip away on a completely missed smash and a bad reading of the short balls from the Transalpine. But it’s only a postponement. Two games later, the winner of the US Open 2021 made the right choice to transform a missed drop shot from Sinner into a break.
Caught by the throat, out of first serving balls, the winner of the last Davis Cup multiplies helpless glances towards his clan and experiences an ordeal watching the games go by. Up to 5-1, service to follow, and this second set which extends its arms to Medvedev. Between relaxation and haste, Gilles Cervara’s protégé begins to stammer a little and gives a semblance of hope to No. 4 at the ATP who is back at 5-3. Even less serene, he nevertheless managed to conclude (6-3 in 49′).
With his back to the wall, Sinner, who only once recovered from a handicap of two sets to nothing, is condemned to the feat. An almost impossible mission but already succeeded by a certain Nadal in 2022 against… the Russian, the only player in history to have lost an Australian Open final with two sets in advance.
Adriano Panatta knows his successor
After 1 hour and 40 minutes of hard driving, Medvedev slowed down, moved less well, made a few more mistakes and the debates became more balanced. With a first ball found and a more conquering attitude, Sinner finally manages to hold his serves. And transformed his first break point of the match (at 5-4) to win the third set.
At the start of the fourth round, the student of the Cahill/Vagnozzi duo took the upper hand in the physical fight and began to dominate the arm wrestling without managing to break away. At 3-3, he erased a break point with an ace before finishing the game with authority. And in a true copy of the previous round, the Italian managed to take the blow to 5-4 against a breathless Medvedev.
In the decisive set, the 31st of the tournament for Medvedev (unheard of in a Major in the Open era), the Russian definitely ran out of gas and let the amazing Sinner slip away towards a major performance. Finished with a huge forehand winner before collapsing on the Rod Laver Arena.
“It was a huge tournament for me,” smiles the new king of Melbourne. I try to be better every day, stronger. In some ways I’m still a little young. But I wish everyone had the same parents as mine, who let me choose what I wanted to do when I was young without ever putting pressure on me. »
For three months, Sinner, even if he remains in 4th place, has been the best player in the world. The native of San Candido, in the Dolomites, reached the final of the Masters, offered Italy the second Davis Cup in its history and incidentally beat Novak Djokovic three times in four matches.
With this coronation, the successor of Adriano Panatta (winner of Roland-Garros in 1976), reaches a new milestone on the path he has set towards world number one. Medvedev, who until then had to play Nadal or Djokovic in his last Sundays, has lost five finals out of six in Grand Slams.
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