Since the last months of the previous season, Jannik Sinner’s development has been unmistakable. His playing style has become more versatile, he has shown a newfound resilience, and most significantly, he has acquired the ability to consistently come out on top.
The question that remained was whether he was truly prepared for the ultimate test of competing against Novak Djokovic in the high-pressure environment of a grand slam.
In a tense match on Rod Laver Arena, Sinner responded without hesitation. Despite dominating the first sets, the fourth seed displayed impressive resilience by bouncing back from a missed match point to defeat Novak Djokovic 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 and secure a spot in his first-ever grand slam final.
Sinner’s historic win marks the end of a remarkable streak at this tournament. He becomes the first player since Hyeon Chung in 2018 to defeat Djokovic, the reigning champion and top seed, halting Djokovic’s 33-match winning streak at Melbourne Park. Additionally, Sinner is the first player to ever defeat Djokovic in the semi-final or later rounds of the Australian Open, breaking Djokovic’s previous perfect record of 10-0 in semi-finals.
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Prior to the tournament, it was evident that Sinner had a strong chance of defeating Djokovic and achieving a remarkable victory. This belief was reinforced by his impressive performance throughout the rounds.
Sinner ended the previous season with a victory over Djokovic in the ATP Finals group stage and continued his success by helping Italy win the Davis Cup. He has been performing exceptionally well, as seen in his straight-set victory in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. When faced with a potential challenge, he managed to turn things around by winning six consecutive points after trailing 1-5 in the second set tiebreak against Andrey Rublev.
From the start, it was evident that Sinner had a strong belief as he burst out of the gates, playing at his peak level. In the intense and physical rallies that followed, it was the Italian who controlled the points from his position near the baseline, hitting powerful shots from both sides and smoothly changing direction.
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In the initial set, Sinner continuously applied pressure on Djokovic from the start. He executed his serves masterfully and consistently returned with powerful and accurate shots. Djokovic struggled to keep up, always a fraction of a second behind and unable to regain control as Sinner dominated the first set.
During his professional career, Djokovic has consistently surpassed the standards set by his opponents. However, this particular situation was already quite different. In the first two sets, his performance was extremely poor. His serving was unreliable, he made numerous errors, and his movement seemed sluggish from the start. By the third set, Djokovic had hit 11 winners but also made 29 unforced errors.
Djokovic has only given up three or fewer games in the first two sets of a best-of-five set match twice in his career. The first time was when he was 17 years old and the second time was against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros. Initially, this situation was not ideal, but Djokovic gradually improved. He started serving better, found his rhythm with his forehand, and increased his focus. Djokovic took over longer rallies, maintained a strong serve, and stayed slightly ahead throughout the set.
As the tiebreak approached, the dynamics of the game were changing. Djokovic’s performance improved while Sinner began making careless errors. Despite this, Sinner maintained his composure, serving well and relying on his offensive skills to reach match point on Djokovic’s serve at 6-5 in the tiebreak. However, he was overcome with nerves. On the crucial point, Sinner pushed himself to be more aggressive but ended up hitting a shaky forehand into the net. In typical fashion, Djokovic rose to the challenge and secured a fourth set.
Sinner’s improved mental strength was evident in his reaction to missing a match point. In the past, Djokovic may have bounced back quickly against other opponents, but Sinner did not let his disappointment linger. He regained control on the court and easily won the fourth set, displaying composure at the crucial moment to secure a significant win for his career.
Source: theguardian.com
