The business was needed, and it was a business.
Jannik Sinner writes another page of Italian tennis, winning his first Slam final and becoming the first Italian to reach the Australian Open: the leader of Italian tennis, fourth in the world ranking but with the record now increasingly in his sights, in front of him was the champion of champions, Novak Djokovic who had never failed on the hard court of the Rod Laver Arena.
Ten finals reached and as many won.
Video Australian Open: Djokovic ko, Sinner flies to the final
The boy from South Tyrol was needed to interrupt the streak of the Serbian, to whom Sinner leaves only one set: it ends 4-1 for the blue in 3 hours and 22 minutes of play, who started off like a rocket with the first two closed 6-1 6-2 , then he gives up the third in the tie break 6-7, having a matchpoint canceled out, but then in the fourth he doesn't forgive, he puts down the ball to make it 6-3 and eliminates n.1.
"It was a very tough match, but the Wimbledon defeat taught me how to beat Djokovic. Here I started very well in the first two sets - Sinner's words -, Nole made a lot of mistakes.
Listen to "A Super Sinner beats Djokovic and it's final (by Alessandra Rotili)" on Spreaker.
I missed a match point in the 3rd, but I wanted to be ready for the next set.
I started off great and couldn't wait to play this match.
Now I'm calmer and on Sunday I will play the final with a smile.
My family is at home and will stay at home: I greet all the Italian fans, we also have the doubles final and it's nice to still be in the running". The appointment with history is at dawn in Italy and Sinner doesn't miss it: the first Slam final is a goal that this time he wants to bring home, despite Djokovic who is the absolute king of Melbourne. The match for Sinner starts downhill, even too much considering the rival: in the first set, with the Serbian late with the legs, the blue wins two set points and closes 6-1 in 35'.
Australian Open - Day 13
Djokovic loses the first set in the eleven semi-finals played on Australian hard courts.
Sinner also dominates the second with two breaks and zero break points granted to his opponent.
Djokovic fails to do Djokovic, with 29 errors in two sets in which he won only 3 games.
In the third set the challenge reopens thanks to Djokovic less fouls and Sinner returning to earth, after the Martian start: we reach the tie break, the Serbian clings to the match, saves the blue's match ball at 6-5 and goes on to close 8-6.
He goes to the fourth, amidst the applause of Melbourne Park, happy to be able to enjoy the show again.
The blue proves to be stronger, going from 40-0 to break.
It ends 6-1 6-2 6-7 6-3 and it is the first Slam final for Sinner.
Medvedev will be his opponent, but in Australia it is already history.
"I congratulate Sinner for playing a great match, and a great tournament so far. He is deservedly in the final. He completely outclassed me today. I was shocked."
Novak Djokovic in the unusual role of the loser thus congratulates the blue player, who won the final act of the Australian Open, beating the Serbian champion in 4 sets.
"It's one of my worst matches played in a Grand Slam tournament - continues the world tennis no.1 - I tried, I fought, but he did everything better than me. The crowd was fantastic with both of us".
Pietrangeli: 'Sinner is the man to beat'
"Sinner is a phenomenon, he is the new man, the 'young man' to beat and for some time it will be like this. If he continues as he is doing now, the others will be in trouble."
Nicola Pietrangeli, the only Italian tennis player to have won two Grand Slam tournaments and world record holder for matches played and won in the Davis Cup, was thrilled by Jannik Sinner's victory over Novak Djokovic in Melbourne.
"I expected it - the former tennis player told Ansa -, given that I had bet a drink that Sinner would win".
"It seems like someone who has been winning every match for 50 years - continues Pietrangeli's praise -. Me being mad at him? It's stupid. I'm saying that Jannik is really strong, already now at the level of the top two-three in the world. I repeat, he will become the man to beat: for me he is Superman and there will be few against him."
Abodi 'Sinner?
Wonderful'
"Australian Open...how wonderful Sinner".
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For Jannik now the final of the first slam of the season is scheduled for Sunday in Melbourne.
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