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Jannik Sinner wins 2024 Australian Open in five-set epic against Daniil Medvedev

Jannik Sinner has pulled off one of the all-time Australian Open comebacks to capture his maiden grand slam title in stunning scenes.

Andrew McMurtryAndrew McMurtry
@AndrewMcMurtry
10 min read
January 29, 2024 - 5:07AM
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner. Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP
Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner. Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP

Jannik Sinner has pulled off an unthinkable comeback, coming from two sets to love down to win a 3hr 44 mins five set epic to win the 2024 Australian Open.

The 22-year-old looked overawed early as Daniil Medvedev dominated early, but he showed nerves and courage far beyond his years to bounce back in a 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 victory to claim his maiden title.

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Sinner becomes the first ever Italian to win an Australian Open and the first Italian male since Adriano Panatta won the French Open in 1976 to claim a grand slam.

He becomes just the fifth Italian grand slam champion behind Nicola Pietrangeli, Pannatta, Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta.

He’s also the youngest Australian Open men’s champion since Novak Djokovic in 2008.

Aussie champion Lleyton Hewitt was blown away by Sinner’s mental fortitude to be able to come back from the brink and win the title like he did.

“Unbelievable,” Hewitt said.

“The mental strength in your first major to go down 2-0 still have the inner belief that he was able to turn it around somehow, the two first sets were incredible tennis. Medvedev did nothing wrong. He played faultless but Jannik Sinner was able to dig deep, stay with him and I think it helped serving first in that third set, he served a lot better as the match went on.

“Medvedev spent so much time on court over these two weeks and Sinner looked fresher as the match got deeper and he got better and better and what a performance.”

Jannik Sinner has done it! Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner has done it! Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

It’s a cruel blow for Medvedev, who falls to 1-5 in grand slam finals, and for the second time lost despite being two sets to love ahead.

He lost the 2022 decider to Rafael Nadal from the same position and is now the first player to have lost multiple grand slams after leading two-sets to love.

What would make the latest loss harder to take is that Medvedev broke the record for the longest time on court in a grand slam, surpassing Carlos Alcaraz’s 2022 US Open tally of 23hr 40 mins of court time.

Medvedev finished with 24 hours, 17 mins of court time at the 2024 Australian Open.

The time on court appeared to wear on Medvedev as it opened a door for Sinner after the Russian’s electric start.

Having played six less hours on court than Medvedev, Sinner was clearly the fresher and romped home to the win.

It completes an outstanding fortnight for Sinner, who had only dropped his first set of the tournament against Novak Djokovic in the semi-final and had been the clear standout from the tournament.

“(Sinner) has been definitely the best player in this tournament from a levels standpoint all the way through to the final. All tournament long,” Jim Courier said during the fourth set.

“Medvedev has been battling just to stay afloat in these matches and Sinner has been dominant, the only person to take a set from him, the 10-time champion. Just crushed everybody else.

“He has found that level again here with the help of Medvedev pulling off the throttle.”

The sweetest kiss. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
The sweetest kiss. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Australian tennis legend Rod Laver tweeted after the result: “Italian tennis is in good hands. Jannik Sinner has beaten the best to achieve his first major. With his all-round game and youth, he is bound for many more. Bad luck to Daniil, a heartbreaking loss after so much hard work this past fortnight. Thank you for the great tennis.”

11.21pm — Sinner takes the lead

All match Jannik Sinner has been playing from behind but at 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 3-2, he finally broke to properly take the lead for the first time in the match.

It’s now 4-2 in the fifth and Sinner is potentially two wins from a grand slam title.

10.54pm — We’re going to five

Jannik Sinner has fought back from the brink and we’re going to a fifth set.

After losing the first two, Sinner has fought back to win the next two 6-4 6-4.

It’s a massive turnaround and must feel painfully familiar for Medvedev.

He’s lost both grand slam finals he’s played in that have gone five sets including his last Australian Open loss.

Medvedev has been on court for 23 hours 42 mins this tournament to start the fifth set — the most of any player in history, beating Carlos Alcaraz, who won the 2022 US Open in 23hr 40 mins of court time.

Sinner is far fresher though, having played nearly six hours less.

10.31pm — ‘Crushed everybody else’

Sinner has been on fire at Melbourne Park. Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP
Sinner has been on fire at Melbourne Park. Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP

The fourth set is on serve so far but Sinner is looking by far the better player at the moment — I guess that’s what happens when Medvedev has had an extra six hours of game time on court throughout the tournament.

But the potential comeback from Sinner is how it should be for four-time grand slam winner Jim Courier as the Italian, who had only dropped his first set of the tournament against Novak Djokovic in the semi-final before the final, had been the clear standout from A0 2024.

“(Sinner) has been definitely the best player in this tournament from a levels standpoint all the way through to the final. All tournament long,” Courier said during the fourth set.

“Medvedev has been battling just to stay afloat in these matches and Sinner has been dominant, the only person to take a set from him, the 10-time champion. Just crushed everybody else.

“He has found that level again here with the help of Medvedev pulling off the throttle.”

10.12pm — ‘Really changing’: Sinner flips the script

Jannik Sinner is putting the pressure on Medvedev, while Medvedev is really starting to pay for all the time he’s spent on court.

Medvedev has spent 20 hours 33 mins on court to get to the final, Sinner had only played 14hrs 44 mins on his way to the decider.

Medvedev only just survived a break point in his first service game of the fourth set.

“Well, this is really changing,” Lleyton Hewitt said in commentary.

“It almost has the feeling of the opposite of what happened in the semi-final.

“Medvedev stood back, he was in the mindset of wait and see, got down two sets to love and stepped it up.

“He needs to switch it back on. Can he? That is the question.”

10.00pm — Sinner hits back

It’s taken 2 hours and 10 minutes but the comeback looks like it’s on as Jannik Sinner claimed the third set 6-4.

Medvedev came out of the gates on fire but his serve has started to let him down as he appears to tire.

Sinner on the other hand appear emboldened.

Are the late nights catching up on Medvedev? Time will tell.

Incredibly the only person to have lost an Australian Open men’s final from two sets up is Medvedev, who gave up a two set lead against Rafael Nadal in 2022.

In that match, Medvedev got off to a belter of a start, before Nadal mounted his unlikely comeback after taking the third 6-4.

Surely it can’t happen again.

9.13pm — Medevedev wins the second

Jannik Sinner had a mini fight back but Daniil Medvedev is now a set away from claiming his second grand slam title.

Medvedev had been ruthless, opening up a 5-1 lead with a double break but the Italian finally began to settle.

He claimed one break back and had a break point at advantage in the next game as well where if he claimed the next point, it would have been back on serve.

But an error was capitalised upon by Medvedev, who’s gone up 6-3 6-3 after two.

Incredibly the only person to have lost an Australian Open men’s final from two sets up is Medvedev, who gave up a two set lead against Rafael Nadal in 2022.

8.44pm — ‘That is ridiculous’: Star leaves AO ‘shell-shocked’

Mevedev’s dominance has continued into the second set as he claimed four break points before Sinner finally held his first serve of the set.

After one of the five deuces, Medvedev blasted yet another winner, leaving Lleyton Hewitt stunned by the level of the Russian.

“That is ridiculous,” Hewitt said.

Asked if he’d seen Medvedev play better, Hewitt said: “I haven’t. It has shell shocked everyone at the moment.”

Sinner only just held on but after Mevedev won the next service game to love, the pressure was right back on the Italian.

8.24pm — Medvedev wins first in 36 minutes

Medvedev is in a mood. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP
Medvedev is in a mood. Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP

After late nights and five-setters to get to the final, Daniil Medvedev doesn’t appear to want to go too late against Jannik Sinner.

Medevdev broke in the third and ninth games to take the first set 6-3 but it’s the way that he’s doing it that’s raising eyebrows.

The Russian has proven to be happy to outlast his opponents this Australian Open, twice going to five sets where he won from two sets down.

It won’t happen again tonight as he’s trying to beat Sinner at his own game.

It’s not a good sign for Sinner, who has never defeated Medvedev after losing the first set in six previous meetings.

And that Medvedev is 50-1 on hard court after winning the first set — his only loss coming against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 AO final.

And the fact it was just 36 minutes speaks volumes about how hard Medvedev is pushing.

“How long did you say that first set was? 36 minutes?” Jim Courier asked on Nine.

“We have routinely had sets go twice that long in this tournament.”

8pm — Medvedev gets the early break

Daniil Medvedev has tasted first blood, breaking in the third game of the opening set to claim an early lead against Jannik Sinner.

It’s only early days so far but the young Italian will have to bounce back reasonably quickly.

7.48pm — And here we go!

Jannik Sinner is serving first as he hunts his first grand slam title in his first grand slam final.

Daniil Medvedev has played in five, two Aussie Opens and three US Opens, but has only won the 2021 US Open as yet.

Regardless of the result, there will be a new winner — and new poster boy for the next generation of players as the pair play the first Australian Open final since 2005 to not feature Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal or Novak Djokovic.

6pm – Medvedev denies one-word sledge against rival

Russian star Daniil Medvedev has moved to deny a potentially frosty sledge fans believe he delivered shortly after his win over Alexander Zverev.

After a forehand from the German went wide, Medvedev raised his index finger to his lips and turned to his coaches box before appearing to mouth the word “karma”.

The reference comes from Roland Garros when Zverev was captured on film, for Netflix’s Break Point series, using the word after watching Medvedev lose in the first round.

Fans watching on flooded social media after the third-seed’s act, but during his post-match press conference he moved to clear up what was actually said.

“I tried to not go on Twitter but I went on Twitter and I saw it all over the place. I was like, ‘Oh, my God’,” he said.

“As I said just right now, I don’t want to go, let’s say (inflame it) because it’s a little bit like when you try (to) you know, touch someone and then he touches you back and then you touch someone.

“I (have) had my moments, probably the most with (Stefanos) Tsitsipas, and even with him we seem to be, you know, we’re not friends, but we seem to respect each other more than before.

“It was something related to my team. Something about mentality. So, yeah, nothing to do with this. I would not be happy to do it this way.”

Got him. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)
Got him. (Photo by WILLIAM WEST / AFP)

3:30pm – Medvedev vs Sinner to write new AO chapter

Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner will face off in the Australian Open men’s final on Sunday as the engraver prepares to carve a new name on the trophy.

Since Stan Wawrinka won his only title in Melbourne in 2014, Novak Djokovic has picked up six trophies, Roger Federer has won two and Rafael Nadal has won one.

But Sinner’s shock defeat of a misfiring Djokovic in four sets on Friday has brought that era to an abrupt end, at least temporarily.

The Italian, who held off a fightback from the 10-time champion to reach his first Grand Slam final, has progressed serenely through the draw in Melbourne and did not drop a set until the semis.

He has been particularly impressive on serve — he did not face a break point against the Serbian top seed and has been broken just twice in 88 service games in Melbourne.

Sinner, 22, said his belief that he can make an impact at the majors was boosted by his impressive end to the 2023 season, when he beat Djokovic twice.

“I’m really relaxed, to be honest,” he said. “I just try to work as hard as possible and in my mind I feel like the hard work always pays off in one way, and we are working really hard for our dreams.

“If this can happen, it’s good. if not, I gave 100 per cent, and the rest I cannot control.” The fourth seed would be the youngest men’s champion in Melbourne since 2008, when Djokovic won his first Grand Slam at the age of 20.

Medvedev will be hoping it’s third time lucky. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Medvedev will be hoping it’s third time lucky. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)
Sinner is the hot favourite. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)
Sinner is the hot favourite. (Photo by Martin KEEP / AFP)

Sunday’s final on Rod Laver Arena brings together two of the most consistent players on Tour — since the beginning of the 2023 season, Medvedev and Sinner have won more matches than anybody else.

The Russian third seed, 27, is bidding to win his second Grand Slam in his third Australian Open final — he was defeated by Djokovic in 2021 and by Nadal the following year.

But his path to the final has been markedly different from Sinner’s. He has spent 20.5 hours on court — nearly six hours more than the Italian.

Medvedev has played three gruelling five-setters, coming from two sets down to win two of those, including against Alexander Zverev in the semi-finals.

“I’m stronger than I was before this tournament because now I know that I’m capable of some things maybe I thought I’m not,” he said.

The 2021 US Open champion, playing in his sixth major final, leads Sinner 6-3 in head-to-heads, although the Italian has won the past three meetings, including at the ATP Finals in November.

He hopes his experience will help him get over the line, though he admits his opponent has upped his game to a “whole different level”.

“I have no idea how Jannik is going to be, but me, myself, I have this experience. I will try my best. I will fight for my life, and let’s see who wins.”

– AFP

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/tennis/australian-open-mens-final-live-jannik-sinner-vs-daniil-medvedev/news-story/911119cd2cd6a75706665b47ff458049