In a stunning display of skill and determination, Jannik Sinner retained his Australian Open title with a commanding 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over Alexander Zverev on Sunday. This triumph not only solidifies Sinner's position as one of the world's elite tennis players but also marks a historic moment for Italian tennis.
At just 23 years old, Sinner has become Italy's first player to win three Grand Slam crowns, surpassing Nicola Pietrangeli who secured back-to-back men's titles at Roland Garros in 1959-60. His journey to the top was highlighted last year when he overcame Daniil Medvedev in a gripping five-set match to claim his first major trophy.
The final at the floodlit Rod Laver Arena saw Sinner impose relentless pressure on Zverev, showcasing his prowess on hardcourts and asserting his dominance with clinical execution. \"It was an amazing performance from my side,\" Sinner remarked. \"I want to enjoy this one. This one has a different feeling (and) means so much to me.\"
This victory extends Sinner's winning streak to an impressive 21 matches, underlining his status as the pre-eminent hardcourt player on the circuit. However, the win came at the expense of Zverev, who faced his third Grand Slam final defeat, leaving him visibly emotional after the match.
Zverev's night was further marred by a heckler in the crowd who referenced domestic violence allegations he has faced in recent years. Despite the challenges, Zverev expressed his respect for Sinner's performance, stating, \"Congrats to Jannik, you're the best player in the world by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today but you're too good. I don't know if I'll ever be able to lift the trophy but I'll keep coming back, I'll keep trying.\"
In other action on the court, the women's doubles final saw top seeds Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic and Taylor Townsend of the U.S. triumph over Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and Hsieh Su-wei of Chinese Taipei with a score of 6-2, 6-7(4), 6-3 to take home the title.
Reference(s):
Ruthless Sinner downs Zverev to retain Australian Open title
cgtn.com
