Relieved: Jannik Sinner © ANSA / ADAM VAUGHAN
Jannik Sinner provided further proof on Wednesday at Wimbledon of why he is the world number 1. In the second round duel against Matteo Berrettini, the 22-year-old was not necessarily the better player, but the one who was there when it mattered.
04. July 2024
By: leo
The English call it crunch time. The word defines a phase of a match that is decisive for its outcome. In tennis, tiebreaks embody this ominous phase. Whoever keeps their nerve during these and plays their best tennis has a great chance of winning the match. Sinner showed against Berrettini that he manages to stay composed in these moments like hardly anyone else. A look at the statistics reflects Sinner’s quality in the tiebreaks: During the entire match, he won 36 percent of the return points, and in the set extensions his rate was 56.25 percent.
Overall, Sinner has now won seven tiebreaks in a row. This series is impressive because he lost the first three overtimes at the ATP 500 tournament in Halle just over two weeks ago. “We both played very well today,” Sinner analyzed after the match. “I was a little lucky in the tiebreaks, but I’ll take that with me.”
End before curfew
Berrettini is a very good friend with whom he often trains. “He is a grass specialist. One who has already reached the final here. It was a very tough second round,” Sinner emphasised. “I knew that I had to raise my level today to have a chance. Of course there are always ups and downs in a five-set match, but I am happy with how I handled the situation.” Finally, Sinner thanked the fans who stayed on Centre Court despite the late hour. Interviewer Lee MacKenzie replied: “They stayed because you are number 1 and it is Wimbledon.”
Offered strong resistance: Matteo Berrettini © ANSA / ADAM VAUGHAN
Sinner will certainly be pleased to have finished the match in four sets. If Berrettini had forced a decisive set, the match would have had to be stopped at 11 p.m. local time due to the curfew and rescheduled for the next day. As it is, the protégé of Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill has a full day to prepare for his next match against Miomir Kecmanovic.
2024-07-04 07:00:19
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