ATP Finals, Jannik Sinner wins the green group
Jannik Sinner first
In the first quarter of an hour of the match there was no story, with Jannik Sinner nipping in the bud the (frankly unstable) assumptions of those who believed he might not take the court by giving 100 percent. A defeat by him, in fact, would certify the simultaneous elimination of Novak Djokovic, while a success by the Italian would eliminate Holger Rune and qualify the Serb as second in the green group, guaranteeing Jannik the top spot. The start ’was one-sided, with two breaks in the opening for Sinner who, after not even 20 minutes, è already 4-0. The world No. 4 seems very hungry and looks like him, not his opponent, the one who has to win to qualify. The Dane cannot keep up the pace from the back, tries several times to come to the net but is always slipped through and, after half an hour, raises the white flag in the first set, won 6-2 by an all-around superior Sinner.
The snapping of the ball from the ropes by Jannik è wonderful and one can noticeably feel the difference with his opponent, who però slowly begins to enter the match. The crowd è obviously on the side of the Italian – colored in part orange and with lots of tricolor flags everywhere – but there’è also a portion of fans ready to support Rune. in the fourth game, he gets the first break ball of his match. Sinner però cancels it with a first-cannon to the center and creates one in turn in the next game, cancelled però by Holger in the same way. There’è more balance in a second partial that nevertheless flows away quickly, with the blue who from the break ball conceded inaugurates a series of fifteen points in a row won on serve. The streak, però, is interrupted just a step away from the tie-break, with three backhand volleys one after the other and a second set, in fact, handed over to his opponent.
The’atmosphere, at first a bit muggy, heats up as the minutes pass and the crowd starts to really get into it. The two players are not at their best, between Rune’s right knee aches and Sinner’s back aches. Holger serves first and takes advantage of this to stay ahead in the score, although in the third game he complicates his life in the longest game of the match, in which everything happens. Video review (the first of these Finals), challenge denied to the Dane because he’s called too late, deafening booing from the audience, polemical applause and above all break ball, cancelled by champion with a central ace. Rune saves one’more in the fifth game, while Sinner offers none until 3-4, when he nearly sends his opponent to serve for the match.
Growing out of proportion are the “olé Sinner” and the “po po” of football memory, with the Pala Alpitour ready to explode a few moments later. Indeed, to serve for the match there goes Jannik a few minutes later, snatching service from Rune for the first time since the third game of the first set and sprinting towards the finish line. After two and a half hours Sinner wins 6-2 5-7 6-4, showing enormous stubbornness and mental strength, exiting amidst the ovation of the audience in attendance. 16th win in the last 17 matches for the Italian, who passes as first and allows Djokovic to advance to the semifinals as second. Nothing to do instead for Holger Rune, permanently eliminated.
Giovanni Pelazzo
