Us Open, Sinner beats Altmaier in the fifth set and finds Eubanks

The discovery of America is a long and perilous journey. And of dangers, Jannik Sinner dodged a gigantic one, saving himself in the 5th set from the aggressiveness of Altmaier, a German born in 1998 who after winning the first set and being sunk in the next two, rose from his ashes forcing the South Tyrolean to a frenzied battle on the fifth. But coach Vagnozzi said on the eve, “in the Grand Slams you have to know how to win games where you don’t play well”. It’s over 5-7 6-2 6-1 3-6 6- for Sinner who is now waiting for Eubanks, American 125 in the world who beat Pedro Martinez.

The match

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It starts immediately with some difficulties for the Italian: two break points, the first of the match arrive for Altmaier in the 5th game of the first set. The first, Jannik cancels it with an ace, the fourth from the start of the match, but the forehand mistake condemns the South Tyrolean to the disadvantage: 3-2. He still seems contracted, Jannik, but perhaps he melts from the shock and starts to play. Immediately he gets three balls from the counterbreak and taking advantage of the German’s mistake he gets back in a tie: 3-3. He still risks the South Tyrolean, who ends 0-30 but manages to overturn the situation for 4-3. Each one proceeds with his own service, with a Sinner who still seems under pressure and even sensationally smoothes a smash at 5-4. On 5-5 Jannik still ends up in difficulty, granting a dangerous break point to the German number 93 in the world. A forehand cue and for the second time in the set yields the bar. Altmaier forward 6-5 serves to conquer the first set. As often happens to him, when he is on the edge of the precipice Sinner tries to react. He wins an exchange of 34 strokes, goes on 30-30 but Altmaier returns to command and goes to set point. He closes the number 93 in the world which goes 1-0. Even in the second set Jannik struggles to impose his own pace, undergoes the initiatives of the other and in the 5th game he still risks ending up with the advantages. He still manages to close and keep the serve at 3-2. Finally, however, the South Tyrolean decides that it is time to assert the 80 positions that distance him from his rival in the ranking. Break of the pupil of Cahill and Vagnozzi who rises 4-2, confirms for the 5-2 and again snatches the joke from Altmaier for the 6-2 which puts the counter of the sets in equality.

Grand finale

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The game seems to have turned, with Altmaier who also changes his attitude and this time undergoes the initiative of Sinner who slips a streak of 18 consecutive points and snatches the joke from Altmaier. Jannik goes up 3-0, stretches 4-1 and has two balls for 5-1 and service. He is not wrong and also closes the third set in his favor, 6-1. He tries to shake the German who offers three opportunities to break at the opening of the fourth set but in a regurgitation of pride from 0-40 he takes the advantages and keeps the service. He takes confidence while the South Tyrolean falls a little ‘in the service. Even in the 4th game he has two break points, Sinner foils the first with an ace, gives in to the second and ends up under 4-1. There is still work to be done, Altmaier wakes up and takes the set home. It goes to the fifth, a shiver down the back in the 3rd game with Sinner who comes back from 0-40, saves five break points for the 2-1 and immediately after breaks the opponent’s serve after the exchange of the match, and perhaps of the New York day. From that moment on, the German suddenly dropped, Jannik went up and broke his serve again, closing 6-1 after three hours and thirty-five minutes.