Sinner wins Aussie Open
Jannik Sinner stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in an energy-sapping five-set Australian Open final last Sunday (Jan 28), 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.
Sinner’s semi-final victory over 10time 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.”
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.”
In Saturday’s women’s final, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus eased to a 6-3, 6-2 victory over 12th seed Zheng Qinwen of China to successfully defend her title and add a second Grand Slam trophy to her cabinet.