Jannik Sinner stormed back against Daniil Medvedev in a thriller of an Australian Open final to win his first Grand Slam on Sunday.
Fourth Seed Sinner triumphed 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 over the 2021 US Open Champion to become the first Italian to win the Australian Open title.
It was an unhappy case of history repeating itself for third-seeded Medvedev as he became the first man to lose two major finals after having a 2-set lead. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 showpiece in Melbourne in the same fashion.
Daniil Medvedev was playing in his sixth major final and his third at Melbourne Park following his defeats in the 2021 and ’22 finals. Sinner was making a first appearance in a Grand Slam decider.
But whilst Medvedev had the major final experience, he was also coming into the final after playing three five-setters to reach the final. This included his quarter-final against Hubert Hurkacz and a comeback from 2-sets down against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.
He had also been forced to come from 2-sets down against Emil Ruusuvuori in the 2nd round. Medvedev had played 26 sets in his six matches to reach the final.
Embed from Getty ImagesJannik Sinner by contrast reached the final having only dropped one set in the tournament. That had come in the semi-finals when he knocked out defending champion Novak Djokovic ending the Serb’s 33-match winning streak at the tournament without facing a break point.
But any signs of fatigue from Medvedev were put to bed early as he broke in the third game before a second break allowed him to wrap up the first set 6-3. Medvedev served six aces and hit 14 winners as Sinner struggled to impose himself early on.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe 2021 US Open Champion continued to set the tone in the second set, after missing four break points in Jannik Sinner’s first service game, Medvedev put that disappointment behind him to break the fourth seed in his next two service games to establish a 5-1 lead in the second set. By this point, Medvedev had created 11 break points and broken four times whereas Sinner had yet to create a break point.
Sinner managed to claw one of the breaks back but Medvedev after double-faulting on his first set point and saving another Sinner break point before wrapping up the second set 6-3.
The third set began with both players dominating on serve but at 4-4 in the third, Sinner tightened up allowing Medvedev to get to deuce which at that point, the third seed was just six points from victory.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut Jannik Sinner held and immediately capitalised on the first break point in the third set for either man to break Medvedev and win the third set 6-4.
Daniil Medvedev was now beginning to struggle and Sinner sensed an opportunity to break in both of his first two service games but Medvedev came through and created a break point at 3-3 which would have left him just two holds of serve from the title.
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It was at this moment that the clutch serving that saw him past Djokovic came back for Sinner as he saved that opportunity with an ace and then pulled the same trick that he had done in the third set breaking Medvedev to level the match at two sets all.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe final set was Daniil Medvedev’s 31st of the tournament (which is a record) and finally, it showed. Sinner dominated the final set, securing the crucial break in the sixth game to put himself on the brink of his first major title.
The victory was secured three games later in the same manner that he ended his match with Djokovic, a big forehand down-the-line winner. Sinner fell flat on his back in celebration and relief before embracing Medvedev at the end of a memorable final.
Sinner hit 50 winners against 49 unforced errors in claiming his first major title and his 11th tour title overall. He served 14 aces and converted 4 of his 9 break points in the match. Medvedev after converting 4 out of his first 11 break points in the first 2 sets produced just 1 break point the rest of the match.
He hit 44 winners in the final but committed 57 unforced errors as well. Sinner won 142 points to Medvedev’s 141. Sinner became the first new winner of the Australian Open since Stan Wawrinka in 2014.
Embed from Getty ImagesSinner’s comeback was the fourth such comeback in the last three and a half years in a Grand Slam final following Dominic Thiem’s victory over Zverev in the 2020 US Open Final, Djokovic’s victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2021 French Open showpiece and the aforementioned Nadal-Medvedev comeback in Melbourne in 2022.
Sinner will remain at World Number 4 and Medvedev number 3 despite the result behind World Number 1 Djokovic and reigning Wimbledon Champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Image Credit: Deposit Photos