Epic comeback in Melbourne: Jannik Sinner wins Australian Open after five-set battle against Medvedev

Jannik Sinner (4th ATP) becomes big in Australia. He lived two dream weeks and won his first Grand Slam, leaving stars like Andrey Rublev (5th), Novak Djokovic (1st) and Daniil Medvedev (3rd) . The latter, his victim in a final where he started with two sets in advance. 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 and 6-3 the score for the consecration of the 22-year-old player who will now revolutionize the circuit.

Playing in a Grand Slam final is not easy for anyone and neither Medvedev nor Sinner have escaped this reality. For the Italian because it was his first. For the Russian because he already knew what it was like to lose in this event in Melbourne. In 2021 and 2022, he was one step away from the title , the second of them being the most traumatic, since it was two sets to zero during the duel against Rafael Nadal. Nightmare that he experienced again this Sunday.

These two stories, that of the young beginner and the long-suffering 2021 US Open champion, came together this Sunday in a final accustomed to having another player as the protagonist. And it is precisely for this reason that the new champion appeared as the big favorite of the preview. ANDDjokovic’s elimination in Australia is something few can count on and has inevitably increased the Italian’s winnings. who played supreme tennis on the blue cement.

But Medvedev is a silent animal. Quietly and with a lot of sacrifice, overcoming two matches where he was 0-2, he managed to reach his sixth Grand Slam final. He wanted his second title and played what he knows. He gave everything he could, causing long points and mental fatigue for a Sinner who, even being one of the great defenders of the circuit, had a moment of weakness in the first set. It was enough. The Muscovite needed an early break to make the difference. He played with that in his favor and punished again in the ninth game, winning the first set 6-3.

The jewel from Trentino-Alto Adige failed to reproduce the extraordinary level of the semi-final against Djokovic at the start and ended up suffering enormously against a Medvedev who punished all the services of the world four. The Russian was much sharper than the Serbian two days ago and broke through with authority in the second set. . He had four break chances in his second return match and broke in the third and fourth. Candido’s son returned with a break, but the wound was already done. The guy with the Lacoste clothes and the Tecnifibre racket wasn’t ready for any surprises (or so it seemed). He went 6-3 again and was six games away from his second major.

A dream situation for many, but not definitive and Daniil knows it. He was in the same position, in this same stadium, two years ago and the title slipped through his fingers against Nadal who ended up winning his 22nd grand slam. The 6-2, 7-6, 3-2 and the triple break he had on this occasion were surely running through his head again.

Sinner, on the other hand, understood that in the third set he had to take a step forward. To continue like this was to give up your first big blow without a fight. YesHe hit 68% first serves in his first five service games and won 89% of them. . In the first, he only reached 54% with 80% efficiency and in the second 65% with half of these points won. This comeback avoided breaks and gave him the oxygen necessary to win the set after an extremely close tenth game.

And with confidence at its peak, the scenario changed. Jannik’s explosive forehand was starting to take its toll and the ghosts of Medvedev were present. While one was gaining intensity and precision, the other was already missing more shots and losing rhythm in his legs. . Despite this, the differences were minimal in the fourth set. Everything was defined again in the tenth match and with the service of the world number three. The final lasted until the fifth set, which had not happened in Australia since 2022 when Daniil suffered (until today) the hardest defeat of his career.

Losing four Grand Slam finals to Djokovic and Nadal is something very different from a 2-0 defeat to Sinner, although the Italian has made it clear that his name will now be at the top of tennis. Medvedev will suffer, but it’s not all his fault. The new generation star played spectacular tennis from the third set and showed the spirit of a legend. It’s special and no one can say otherwise. A sign of that? He is the youngest Australian Open champion since Novak Djokovic in 2008.