Jannik Sinner raised his eyes and arms to the heavens after retaining his Australian Open on Sunday (26 January).
The world number one defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 in two and three-quarter hours to become Italy’s first three-time men’s Grand Slam singles champion. It was a dominant display from the 23-year-old with Zverev unable to bring up a single break point during the match.
With Sinner serving first, the pair conceded just one point between them on serve in the opening three games. But Zverev had to save two break points in game four before levelling at 2-2.
Midway through the first set, Zverev complained to the umpire that rackets he had sent to the stringer an hour before the match had not been returned to him. “I need them now,” he exclaimed.
That annoyance probably did not help the German as, in the next game, Sinner brought up two break points. Zverev saved them both, and one more, but Sinner converted a fourth before holding to love to take the opening set.
Zverev was trying his best to be aggressive, but Sinner had the answers from the baseline and at the net. The second seed saved two break points in game three of set two, and serve dominated after that to prompt a tiebreak.
After two minibreaks apiece, the defining moment came at 4-4 when a Sinner forehand hit the net and dropped on the Zverev side with the second seed unable to chase it down.
The Italian took full advantage with an unreturnable serve followed by a down-the-line forehand winner which put him into a two-set lead. Zverev’s reaction upon sitting down was to angrily slam his racket into another on his bag.
Zverev’s serve came under pressure again in the sixth game. A netted forehand handed the reigning champion two break points, and a long forehand on the second gave Sinner an iron grip on the match.
And with his serve proving impregnable, Sinner completed victory as Zverev suffered a third defeat in Slam finals. For Sinner, this was a third major triumph which cemented his status as the world’s top player.
