Sinner stages epic fightback to win Australian Open
28th January 2024
Sinner became the first Italian champion in the tournament's history.
- Sinner stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in the Australian Open final.
- He became the first Italian champion in the tournament's history.
- Former US Open champion Medvedev, who has now lost five of his six finals in the majors, said Sinner deserved to win.
Jannik Sinner stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil
Medvedev in an energy-sapping five-set Australian Open final on Sunday,
claiming his first Grand Slam title.
The Italian fourth seed had no answer to the Russian's
aggression in the first two sets but dug deep to win 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in
three hours and 44 minutes.
He collapsed to the floor before returning to his feet to
savour his moment on Rod Laver Arena, climbing into his box to hug
coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill.
Sinner thundered 14 aces, hit 50 winners and broke Medvedev’s serve four times to become the first Italian champion in the tournament's history.
The 22-year-old is the first Italian man to win a Slam since Adriano Panatta in 1976 and the youngest man to win the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic in 2008.
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Sinner's semi-final victory over 10-time winner Djokovic had
guaranteed there would be a new name on the trophy.
But the result is a bitter blow for the third-ranked
Russian, who also blew a two-set lead against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 final.
"I'm feeling great, I just have to process it
all," said Sinner. "It was a great match and a great opportunity and
I took it in the right way.
"I'm happy. I think the best moment was when I went
into the locker room to hug my people. They have made me feel so, so special
and they also know the process behind it all. It's a great, great moment for
me.
"It's been a hell of a journey till now, even if I am
still only 22."
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Sinner admitted he had been forced to scramble for answers
because Medvedev was "crushing" it in the first two sets.
"The match was going so fast and I had zero chances in
the first two sets, but I was looking for any small chance and I managed to
break him in the third set and that's it," he said.
Former US Open champion Medvedev, who has now lost five of
his six finals in the majors, said Sinner deserved to win.
"You fought to the end and you managed to raise your
level," said the 27-year-old. "You and your team are doing an amazing
job.
"I hope I can try to get the next one if we play in a final."
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The Russian, in his previous six matches, had spent nearly
six hours longer on court than Sinner, who had only lost one set.
But, looking fresh, he was quickly into his stride,
unsettling the usually calm Italian, who was unable to find any sort of rhythm.
Sinner, playing in his first Grand Slam final, had been
broken just twice in the tournament before the final but Medvedev doubled that
tally in the first set.
Sinner was again in deep trouble at the start of the second
set, fending off multiple break points and pleading for backing from the crowd.
He survived that onslaught but was broken for a third time
in the fourth game when a poor drop shot allowed the Russian to set up a
winner.
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Medvedev raced through his service game to love, giving
Sinner no time to gather his thoughts.
He hit a fierce forehand to set up two more break points in
the sixth game and Sinner went wide with a forehand to slip 5-1 down.
The Italian broke back immediately but Medvedev snuffed out
the mini-revival to surge into a two-set lead.
The third set was tighter until the decisive 10th game when
Sinner, who did not face a break point in the set, pounced to break and close
the gap.
The momentum was now all with the Italian and the tiring
Medvedev, who required strapping for his foot, had to fight hard to hold early
in the fourth set.
Sinner fired three aces to edge 4-3 ahead and broke in the
10th game when Medvedev fired long to take the match into a fifth set.
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With the tension mounting, both players stayed solid on
serve until the sixth game of the final set, when Medvedev dumped a backhand
into the net to give Sinner three break points.
A forehand crosscourt winner gave the Italian the crucial break and he closed out on serve to earn the biggest win of his life.