The 22 year old Italian Stallion Jannik Sinner finally found the formula to win a Grand Slam title and executed it to perfection. In the semifinals he upset the ten time champion and world no. 1 Novak Djokovic in four sets and today in the final he overcame Daniil Medvedev 36 36 64 64 63. The championship winning point was a Sinner forehand winner up the line into the open court.
Competing in his 17th Grand Slam main draw (his major debut was at 2019 US Open at age 18), Sinner was in dominant form all fortnight, defeating Botic van de Zandschulp, Jesper Dejong, Sebastian Baez, Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev without losing a set.
In the semis, Sinner’s brutal firepower and spin control provoked Djokovic, who he led by two sets to love, to say to his box at 4-3 in the third set, “I don’t know what I have to do.”
In today’s final, Medvedev took control with a variety of attacks and aggressive tennis stationed from closer to the baseline, which prevented Sinner from finding a comfort zone. But Sinner managed to adapt and solve the 27 year old Medvedev’s puzzle again. This is the fourth time in a row Sinner has beaten Medvedev, who won the first six of their duels. “I am very proud,” Sinner said. “It was a very tough match. He started off really well, he moved me around the court. I could not make my game plan work but somehow in the third set I was looking for the small chances, which I used. The match changed and I am really happy with how I corrected it. There are so many emotions right now. I have to sit down and process it but an unbeleiveable feeling.”
In the doubles final, Su-Wei Hsieh and Elise Mertens defeated Ostapenko and Kichenkok 61 75. Hsieh, at 38, wrapped up her second Grand Slam title in this tournament and eighth overall.
This is Hsieh’s seventh Grand Slam title in women’s doubles, but her first in Melbourne. Hsieh has won four Wimbledon titles and two Roland Garros titles — including both of those events last year, with two different partners – and now she has earned her first hard court women’s doubles major.
At 38 years and 24 days old, Hsieh becomes the second-oldest woman to win a Grand Slam women’s doubles title. American Lisa Raymond was eight days older than Hsieh when she won the 2011 US Open. Hsieh expects to continue her doubles career through 2024 and possibly beyond.
AO · Daniil Medvedev · Jannik Sinner
