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London: Jannik Sinner has defended his Wimbledon title to end a run of grand slam heartache and match great rival Carlos Alcaraz’s feat as a back-to-back champion on the hallowed grass.
Italy’s world No.1 withstood losing his first set in six matches to German second seed Alexander Zverev – a stretch of 14 straight sets – to prevail 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 6-4 after an outstanding serving exhibition from both players. It was his 10th win in a row over Zverev.
Sinner, 24, had not won a grand slam trophy since beating Alcaraz in last year’s final at the All England club.
Since then, Alcaraz delivered him a sobering defeat in the US Open decider, a 38-year-old Novak Djokovic stunned him in five sets in the Australian Open semi-finals, then he lost in the second round at Roland-Garros from two sets and 5-1 up over Argentine Juan Manuel Cerundolo.
There could have been another addition this fortnight, given Sinner trailed Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic by two sets to one in the first round, but he dodged that potential disaster on his way to creating more tennis history for his country.
Sinner’s fifth major title draws him level with Jean Borotra, Don Budge, Tony Trabert and Australia’s Frank Sedgman, but he still trails the injured Alcaraz by two.
The opening set was going according to the script when, after a competitive start dominated by serve, Zverev was the first to face a break point at 3-4. But something unexpected occurred: Sinner did a very un-Sinner-like thing, shanking a forehand wide.
Zverev survived to reach four-all. It was an early sign that this might not be another Sinner procession, like the past nine clashes between this pair.
In a match-up between arguably the sport’s two best servers, they combined for five aces in the eventual tiebreak – most whistling by at, or faster than, 209km/h – but Zverev looked the sturdier throughout.
Sinner got away with a drop shot that landed on the sideline on Zverev’s first set point, and had a set point of his own that the German saved with a 216km/h ace out wide.
Then, after edging 8-7 ahead, Zverev’s big moment arrived.
The No.2 seed has copped criticism in these kinds of matches for playing it too safe. But on his second set point, he unleashed a full-blooded forehand that whizzed past the Italian’s racquet. Zverev’s reaction afterwards was even bigger.
Similarly important was how Zverev came through a multi-deuce service game to open the second set, which again mostly offered little for the returner.
Zverev’s best chance came in the sixth game, when a net cord went his way to reduce Sinner to 30-all – but the world No.1 held two points later.
The tiebreaker was far different in set two, and that had everything to do with Sinner suddenly getting a read on Zverev’s towering serve. He made outstanding returns on the German’s first two serves, and benefited from two relatively cheap errors to surge 4-0 ahead.
That development felt more significant than Sinner just levelling the match soon after, following more than two hours of battle.
After a comfortable Sinner hold, he heaped the pressure on Zverev again, blasting a forehand winner to reduce him to 0-30. Mere centimetres separated Sinner from bringing up multiple break points in the same game, but Zverev escaped.
Two games later, Zverev wriggled out of a 30-all game after starting it with a wild forehand that he previously was not gifting.
He stubbornly hung on for long enough to be ready when Sinner’s dip finally came in a dramatic three-all game. Sinner mishit a crosscourt forehand to go 0-30 down, then made an error in judgment soon after to present Zverev with his first break point.
Sinner pushed Zverev behind the baseline then dished up a drop shot, only for his rival to slip and immediately grab for his right knee.
Both Sinner and chair umpire Eva Asderaki-Moore checked on him, but Zverev managed to continue. A bigger blow followed once Sinner held.
Zverev endured another tight service game, then, at deuce, he narrowly struck a forehand long to give Sinner his chance. Missing his first serve only heightened the pressure before Zverev wildly misfired on another forehand to hand over the first break of the match.
Zverev sent his racquet flying across the court in disgust. That could have marked the end of Zverev’s resistance, but he was not done.
He nailed an overhead winner to sink Sinner to 0-30 in the fourth game of the fourth set.
A rally broke out on the next point that Sinner won with an extreme-angle crosscourt backhand that left Zverev exasperated as the Italian went on to hold serve again.
Halfway to a third tiebreak for the contest, Sinner made his charge. He won a spectacular point to start Zverev’s service game at three-all, and soon earned another break point, but the world No.3 staved that one off with a volley, followed by a defiant stare towards his team.
But Sinner took it out of Zverev’s hands on his second opportunity, pounding a forehand past him to secure the break.
Zverev made one last-gasp push as Sinner served for the title – and it took more brilliance from the Italian to hang on before drilling an inside-out forehand to seal the deal.
Marc McGowan travelled to London with Tennis Australia’s support.
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