Open glory belongs to Jannik Sinner as the boy from the mountains scales another peak
Jannik Sinner, the 22-year-old from northern Italy, has had ‘major champion’ written all over him for years and now his name is etched on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
Jannik Sinner grew up in the mountains of northern Italy. His father was a chef and his mother a waitress at a ski lodge. He won a national junior championship for giant slalom before ditching the slopes for tennis. He preferred direct competition against another human. It can be tough to beat a mountain.
And just as difficult to win the Australian Open.
The question around the 22-year-old has never been whether he’s good enough. Was he tough enough?
Russian ironman Daniil Medvedev finished his marathon campaign by dragging himself out of bed, wiping the sleep from his bloodshot eyes and putting up a monumental fight but the Italian prevailed 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.
Sinner is perfectly balanced on a court. The knees are tucked in as if he’s going 130km/h down the highest peak at Madonna di Campiglio. Or driving one of the Ferraris he has tucked in his garage at home.
Sinner’s had “major champion” written all over him for years and now his name is etched on the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
He looked cool enough to be a Gucci model – actually, he is one – but he was in dire trouble when he lost the first two sets. At 198cm and gangly, Medvedev resembled a scarecrow swinging a tennis racquet. He had slogged through three five-set matches just to reach the decider. His fatigue was immense and he might do well to stay awake but adrenaline is a heck of a drug and Russia’s World No. 3 had the match at his mercy.
Medvedev is an unconventional and creative player. He popped a couple of acutely angled drop volleys over the net like he was aiming for the corner of a ping pong table. The bloke’s a genius but Sinner had more gas in the tank in front of a 15,000-strong crowd that included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Eric Bana, Ian Thorpe, Elle Macpherson and Alex de Minaur, who was there to watch someone else achieve the dream he wanted for himself.
Sinner locked in to his best mode, ball machine-mode, for his imperious final three sets. Proved unflappable and unbeatable. Medvedev hadn’t shaved since the tournament began – who had time for that with his schedule? – and he finished up with a heartbreaking loss and a 15-day growth.
Sinner’s dream result was another nightmare for the Russian. Two years ago, he was in the same seemingly impregnable position, leading by two sets to love against Rafael Nadal. He squandered the next three sets in a 5hr 24min defeat. It’s happened again.
The crowd was against him and so was the result. Sinner stayed cool, calm and collected to conjure the most significant victory of his life. He pounced when Medvedev tired towards the end. The Russian’s legs grew heavier. His breathing was laboured and Sinner ran his weary foe into the ground. The young fella’s camp kept encouraging him. Dig deep! Dig deep! He did. Medvedev fought until the bitter end but Melbourne Park had a first-time champion. What a breath of fresh mountain air.
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