Tennis, Sinner in the final at the US Open

Infinito Sinner. Still in the final in New York, like a year ago: and on Sunday at eight in the Italian evening he will defend the title against the usual Alcaraz and at stake, in addition to the US Open Trophy, there will also be the number one in the world. Jannik conquers the last act of the tournament by beating Felix Auger-Aliassime, n.27 of the world (but from Monday it will be 13), probably the author of the best career match, with the score of 6-1 3-6 6-36-4 in 3 hours and 21 minutes. Sinner is the fourth player in the Open era to reach 5 consecutive finals in Slam tournaments, after Federer (10 between 2005-07, 8 between 2008-10), Djokovic (6 between 2015-16, 5 between 2020-21) and Nadal (5 between 2011-12). The blue also becomes the fourth in the Open era to reach the final of all 4 Slam in a single men’s single season, after Lavever (1969), Federer (2006-07, 2009) and Djokovic (2015, 2021, 2023). If the champion is confirmed, he would be the first to defend the title at the US Open from Federer’s time (which won five consecutive titles from 2004 to 2008). Meanwhile he and Alcaraz will compete in the third Slam final of the year after Paris and Wimbledon, an event that had not happened in the same season since 1964 (Emerson and Stolle).

Start with a bang

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Sinner starts strong, as usual, immediately puts pressure on the Canadian and wins seven of the first eight points, immediately getting three break balls for the 2-0, and the last one is the one that digs the first extension. The rhythm of Jannik, as Musetti would define it, is oppressive, and Auger-aliassime cannot support him, especially if he does not put the first. A second blue break also arrives and after 43 ‘the first set ends 6-1, such as those with Bublik and Musetti: the n.1 closes with 10 winners at 7 and just 4 free against 11.

Canadian return

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Something changes, however, at the start of the second set, the Canadian wins the first seven points and earns three break balls in a row, but after a straight wrong by Felix on the first, Sinner cancels the other two as a champion. But in front, now, he has a more solid opponent, who gets a lot from the service and holds up from the bottom, far from the player overwhelmed three weeks ago in Cincinnati. With a percentage of the first under 50%, Jannik struggles in his jokes, in the eighth game goes under 0-40 again and this time grants the break with a winning straight of Auger-Adjustment, never so performing in the career with that blow. The Canadian, who has lost only one point in the service in the set, thus stretches the game, while Sinner at the end of the second set returns to the changing rooms complaining about the abdominals.

Blue ascent

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Upon returning, Jannik immediately lacks a break ball but his ball returns to travel at infernal rhythms. If he is suffering, he does not give it to see and above all he relies on the fundamental that makes the difference, the response to the service. His break arrives at the sixth game, also facilitated by a lucky blow but wanted: on a first than prudent first one, Sinner hits in response in extension and derives a slightly random lob that surprises AUGER-Aliassime. The Canadian erases a set point at the service on 2-5, but in the next game Sinner closes a partial in which he scored 11 winners at 4, and committed 4 errors against 10: numbers similar to those of the first set.

The law of the strongest

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The fourth set opens with four complicated games, all concluded to the advantages. Sinner in the second game saves two consecutive break balls, and three others in the fourth game: the first with a crossed reverse backwards from a defensive position that takes the latest centimeters of row and the other two with the kind collaboration of the Canadian, hasty first in the execution of the Lungolinea law, then in the execution of the response against the second (definitely the most serious error on the break balls not exploited). The break then gets Sinner, on the first occasion in the set, in the fifth game: the long straight of Auger-aliassime gives him the challenge in practice. Jannik thus rises to 27 games won in a row on concrete in the Slam, like Djokovic and behind only Federer (40), and gets success number 300 in his career (84 defeats).