Australian Open: Sinner wins his first Grand Slam after coming back against Russian Daniil Medvedev in Australia

The Italian Jannik Sinner he made a great comeback in the final of the Australian Open, his first Grand Slam final, and beat Russian Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3 in three hours and 46 minutes of play, the second time that the Muscovite lost the title in Melbourne after leading by two sets.

With this Sunday’s victory, Sinner became the first Italian tennis player to win the title on the banks of the Yarra River and the third to win a men’s slam title. He joined the legendary Nicola Pietrangeli and Adriano Panatta, also major winners, as well as Francesa Schiavone and Flavia Penetta on the women’s circuit.

It was the eighth time that a Grand Slam final offered a comeback after an initial 0-2 and Medvedev has starred in the last two, after losing to the Spanish Rafael Nadal at the 2022 Australian Open by 2-6, 6-7 ( 5), 6-4, 6-4 and 7-5. He is the first tennis player in history to fall in two Australian finals after blowing a two-set lead.

The atmosphere was unbeatable just a few minutes before the start of the final, with thousands of fans rushing to get from the concert held at the John Cain Arena to the Rod Laver Arena or Garden Square.

It was probably one of the most pleasant afternoons of the tournament, with the temperature reaching 24 degrees before kick-off, after two weeks marked by inconsistent weather.

The 2024 final represented the emancipation of a new generation unable to prevail over the old guard, as it was the first final at Melbourne Park since 2005 without any member of the ‘Big Three’ (Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic).

Sinner, who was playing in his first final, was not able to start with the same strength as in the duel against Djokovic. The echo of his forehand did not reverberate in the stadium with the same intensity and his shots were sterile against a Medvedev who was infallible in long rallies.

He was also not so successful with his serve and his inability to vary the serve condemned him to lose a service game at the first opportunity, which meant 2-1 for the Muscovite.

On the contrary, Medvedev was brilliant with the serve during a first set in which he obtained 86% of first in play. His high percentage gave him energy and calmness to face the rest of the games and he achieved a new break in the final stretch to take the first set 6-3 in 36 minutes.

The Russian’s dominance continued in the second set, in which he scored three consecutive blank service games, against a Sinner who could not find a solution to his ineffective serve.

Medvedev took a 5-1 lead and that was when the transalpine reaction came. Sinner got his first breaking ball of the match and scored a break that got the audience out of their seats again.

He was on the verge of breaking the Russian’s powerful serve again, wasting a new break opportunity at 5-3.

Medvedev won the second set 6-3, but he immediately saw how Sinner improved his serve, which went from 54% correct in the first to 72% in the third. The Russian, impassive, continued with tight concentration, great service and very few unforced errors.

The match reached its climax at four to four, after both tennis players easily maintained their serves, with an audience that was infected by the enthusiasm of the fans dressed as carrots, as a show of support for the red-haired transalpine player.

Sinner recovered the sensations with a forehand that until now had been off and took advantage of the first set point to return the emotion to the match.

The Muscovite had to face the ghosts of the 2022 final lost against Nadal. He went to the locker room to change his outfit, but Sinner, who remained with a predatory look on the court, started the fourth quarter in the same way in which he had finished the third.

Equality was once again the protagonist and both tennis players kept their serves, despite the fact that the Italian had two break options and the Russian had one.

The Cuban actress Ana de Armas, who was present in the stands, vibrated with a Sinner that went from less to more, infected by a stand that mostly went with the transalpine.

Sinner responded unleashed, with an electric forehand, which helped him achieve a powerful return after a mediocre second serve from the Russian and take the fourth set 6-4.

Medvedev received a warning from the chair umpire after he threatened to go to the locker room again.

The match took on an epic tone as it entered a final round that was inaugurated with a game on serve from the Italian that featured the longest exchange of the match (39 hits).

Medvedev, who became the tennis player with the highest number of sets played (31) and completed 24 hours on the court in the tournament, accused the fatigue of his exhausting duels in previous rounds, against an opponent who once again offered the repertoire who delighted the Rod Laver Arena this Friday, in his semi-final clash against the reigning champion Djokovic.

He broke to lead 4-2, after Medvedev’s serving efficiency faded as a result of fatigue, and he closed out the service games with ease.

A large majority of the public, who carried him along since he began his comeback in the third set, celebrated with joy a parallel forehand in the form of a ‘winner’, which served to close the first match point he had available.

The Italian fell to the ground for ten seconds and got up to hug Medvedev, who crossed to the other side of the court to congratulate the Italian on his first slam crown.

At 22 years and 165 days old, Sinner confirmed himself as the second youngest tennis player to win the title in the first major of the season, after the Serbian Novak Djokovic, who was proclaimed champion in the 2008 edition at 20 years and 250 days old. .

He is also the sixth tennis player to win the Davis Cup and the Australian Open consecutively. The tennis players who previously achieved this feat were the Americans Arthur Ashe and Jim Courier, the Swedes Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander, as well as Djokovic with Serbia.

The Spanish Carlos Alcaraz will preserve a second position in the world that he would have lost if the Russian had won the final.

Sinner, the Murcian’s great generational rival, got rid of one of his main pending tasks, good results on big stages, and continued with the good feelings of a sublime end to the season, after his Davis Cup title with Italy.

EFE