After almost half a century, Italy scores a sharp Slam: exactly 48 years after Adriano Panatta, Jannik Sinner, beating Danil Medvedev in an epic comeback, wins one of the four main tennis tournaments.
The match
Favored after an almost clear run in the tournament, which culminated with the great victory in the semi-final over Novak Djokovic, the South Tyrolean was surprised by a lightning start from the Russian. Medvedev, mindful of the last defeats against the blue, changes his game: used to hitting the advertising boards, the Russian plays a very aggressive game, with his feet firmly on the baseline even in response. Sinner, surprised, seems to have lost his magic touch, and suddenly finds himself down 6-3, 5-1. First signs of recovery at the end of the second set, which the blue still lost 6-3.
And from the third another game begins. Sinner grows, on serve and with groundstrokes, Medvedev is no longer able to keep up that frenetic pace and is forced to move back his range of action and row. He also does it well, but Sinner becomes implacable: more precise in his dribbling, dominant on serve, he takes control of the rallies even in return and places the decisive break in the tenth game in both the third and fourth sets.
The inertia of the match has changed, and in the decisive partial we only expect the knockout blow from Sinner, who places the decisive break in the sixth game and after 3 hours and 46 minutes of play with a winning forehand down the line he closes the match, yes he drops to the ground, embraces Medvedev, climbs onto the balustrade and embraces his staff in a beautiful embrace: 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
The words of the champion
«A special victory, an incredible tournament, two fantastic weeks», were the first words of the Italian, who was moved by wishing «all the children to live this dream and to have the freedom that my parents gave me».
His first thanks are to Vagnozzi and Cahill, the two coaches who accompanied him on this splendid journey: «We try to improve day after day, trying to become stronger and stronger. I'm really happy to have you with me to encourage me and understand me because sometimes it's not easy, but that's how I am."
