2024-03-21 21:58:14
MIAMI. Greetings to the national team, compliments from Spalletti, the long-awaited presence in the stands of the Fort Lauderdale stadium for the Azzurri’s friendly match. But above all tennis: Jannik Sinner he doesn’t let himself be distracted either by notoriety or by close encounters of a certain type. Tomorrow on the hard court in Miami he returns to the field to attack a new final, at theAtp 1000 del Miami Open.
The opponent in the second round, the first in which the Italian number 3 in the world is involved, is a national teammate, Andrea Vavassori. The objective is centered on tomorrow, but the minds – especially those of the increasingly numerous Sinner fans – turn to the possible rematch in Indian Wells with Carlos Alcaraz. Seeds #1 and #2 can only meet in the final. So there is time.
In Miami the South Tyrolean played his first final in a Masters 1000 in 2021, at 19 years old and as number 31 in the ATP. Among the defeated opponents, the memory of the compliment remains Alexander Bublik in the semi-final (“you’re not human…”) before falling in the challenge with his friend Hubert Hurkacz. Since then, Sinner said in the press conference the day before, “regardless of the results, I grew as a person and as a player. It’s normal, you have new experiences. I’m lucky because I can play in all the biggest tournaments in the world throughout the season.” Sinner then repeated that result last year. But after the victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-final, at the end of one of the symbolic matches of the season , he lacked the energy to hold up in the final against Daniil Medvedev.
Now he returns to the Hard Rock Stadium motivated to take the step he is missing here, and to put behind him the first defeat of 2024, suffered in the semifinals at Indian Wells a few days ago. “I feel like I’ve grown up – he explained – but as a person I’m still the same and the results won’t change things”. His path to Florida, where he is seeded number 2 given theabsence of Novak Djokovicwill start against Vavassori, who like Sinner can have his sights set on qualifying for the ATP Finals: not in singles, being number 148 in the world, but in doubles with Simone Bolelli. The two, in fact, are the second best couple in the Race, the ranking based on seasonal results, behind only Rajkeev Rav e Rohan Bopannawho defeated them in the final at the Australian Open.
Sinner has won 16 of the 17 matches of the new year and in Miami he is placed in the quarter of the draw Andrey Rublev, with the possible meeting with Medvedev in the semifinals. “Every tournament is a new opportunity – said Sinner -, and here I have again the opportunity to show good tennis. During the year I didn’t think about the winning streak. I knew that sooner or later I would lose, and I am happy that the defeat came at the end of a great tournament, in the semi-final of a Masters 1000 which is still an excellent result.” But now Miami is another story.
2024-03-21 21:58:14