After Madrid and Melbourne, the US Open becomes the redemption tournament. In Flushing Meadows Jannik has placed some of the old negative records: outside Popyrin, Shapovalov … now he has the Canadian in front of
Jannik, as a good Milan player, will know that after Istanbul there is always Athens. There is the memory of a painful defeat, but also the possibility of redemption. Of the sweet revenge. Here, Sinner will be able to tell that after Madrid and Melbourne there is always … New York. The Slam was needed in the Big Apple to venture his past and close the accounts with the black beasts of a few years ago. Those who had not given him escape at the beginning of his career: Popyrin first, Shapovalov then, Auger-Aliassime now. More than a Slam path, it looks like a path of redemption.
redemption
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Yes, Sinner over the years has placed the negative precedents with Medvedev (blessed is the final one of Beijing) and Djokovic (from the Davis 2023 Cup onwards Nole no longer found breath), but he had missed the possibility of putting the crossings in place with certain uncomfortable opponents of the past. People with whom he had lost in the period before the great exploit: in 2021, when he had “only” a couple of 250 titles on the bulletin board, and in the very difficult 2022, year marked by physical problems. Then came this US Open who placed a series of crossings on the way that smelled of great opportunity: did anyone remember that Jannik was disadvantaged in the head against Alexei Popyrin? A game, a defeat. This was struck by the curse of May 5 (2021) on Madrid’s never beloved Red Land: the Australian won 7-6 6-2 taking advantage of the showy drop in Jannik’s joke. Revenge served icy: 6-3 6-2 6-2 in the second round of this US Open, in just over two hours. Popyrin, before the game, had tried: “He is strong, but I have a plan”. Skipped.
Turn against Shapovalov
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In the special rendering of the accounts with his past, then, Jannik received as a gift from the scoreboard what has so far been the most complicated challenge. The third round against that Shapovalov’s Devil who four years ago was the left -handed left to the very high ranking. And on Sinner’s road he happened at the wrong time: in the first round of the Australian Open 2021, the blue played twenty -four hours after the victory in the 250 tournament always in Melbourne. And the Canadian had taken advantage of it. Jannik had fallen and as always he had not sought alibi: “For heaven’s sake, let’s not blame fatigue”. Tennist Middle Ages of blue. More than the age of the gold we live now: Sinner, against Shapo in New York, has lost the only set of his countryside perfect. He suffered for over three hours, also granting three break balls in the third partial which inevitably perfumed with the turning point of the entire challenge. There is often, on the Slamo path of the South Tyrolean, a game of great suffering that marks its turn point in the entire tournament: in Australia, at the beginning of the year, it was the marathon against runs. In Wimbledon, however, the great fear against Dimitrov who retired while he was ahead two sets to zero. Who knows that in New York it was not the one against Shapo.
Beyond Kryptonite
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And then here is a stalactite of kryptonite right from a breath from the final. Until a month ago, the taboo of Jannik was called Felix Augers of Aliassime: two games, two defeats against the Canadian who could boast of being among the very few of the circuit to have won more than once against the blue. Above all, without ever losing. The problems, for Felix, but were two. The first: the two had played against the last time in 2022, a year marked by Sinner’s injuries (the precedent of Madrid 2024 is not counted, when the blue called forfeit before taking the field) and very far from the current form of number 1. Second point: Jannik has already taken a partial revenge. In Cincinnati, two weeks ago: 6-0 6-2, a health walk in the quarterfinals in Ohio and many greetings to Kryptonite.
Another story
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“I don’t see many strengths in Sinner’s game, right?” He joked the Canadian at the press conference, after tearing a pass very precious for him as the semifinal in New York. “Sometimes it is really impregnable,” said Auger, “but I don’t think I will focus a lot on him, but especially on me. Before Cincinnati we haven’t played for several years, now I know what to wait for me. I understood how Jannik play today compared to 2022”. Basically, he is another tennis player. One who lived his Istanbul, like everyone else. But a hand of fate and a blow of air to the scoreboard now placed him at the gates of Athens.
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