Jannik Sinner beats back pain, weakness and a good Machac
The challenge between Jannik Sinner and Tomas Machac is decided in the third set: our compatriot wins. The South Tyrolean starts strong, who chooses to respond and immediately imposes pace. The Czech struggles to find continuity on serve: between second balls and a few too many errors, he concedes already in the first game. Sinner takes advantage of this, grows in response and snatches the break at the advantages. From there on it is a monologue. The Italian holds serve with authority, moves the exchange well and puts constant pressure. Machac tries to fight back, but is inaccurate at key moments: more errors come, including heavy double faults, paving the way for the second break and 4-0.
The Czech only manages to break free in the fifth game, saving a break point and breaking the losing streak. It is an isolated episode, however. Sinner remains solid, conceding nothing on his own turns and continues to lead. In the seventh game came the credits: more errors by Machac, between forehand and serve, gave two set points to the Italian. Sinner closes without hesitation, 6-1, after a first set dominated far and wide.
The second set opens with Jannik Sinner trying to stay in control on serve, but without the brilliance of the first partial. Tomáš Macháč gradually grows: after canceling a break point in the beginning, he finds rhythm and confidence, starting to push especially with the forehand.
The balance is broken in the fifth game, when it is the Czech himself who places the break: he raises the level in the exchanges, takes advantage of some Sinner errors and goes ahead. From there Machac accelerates, holds serve with confidence and again snatches the serve from the blue, taking it up to 5-2. This is the most difficult moment for Sinner, who is experiencing a noticeable drop and struggles to hold his opponent’s intensity.
When the set seems headed, however, comes the reaction. Sinner recovers one of the two breaks, returning more aggressively in response and taking advantage of some of the Czech’s smudges. Machac takes the blow, makes more mistakes and allows the Italian to come completely back: first the 3-5 counter-break, then the constant pressure that brings him back up to 5-5.
In the game of the possible 5-5 all the tension is seen: hard exchanges, chances on both sides and even a break point cancelled by Machac. On the advantages, however, it is Sinner who makes the difference, raising the level in the decisive moments and completing the comeback.
From 2-5 to 5-5: the set is completely reopened. Then one game to one and tie-break. In the tie-break Machac again took advantage of Jannik Sinner’s second serve, immediately took over the exchange and went ahead with the mini-break. At 3-2 in his favor, the Czech also handles the service turn well and it comes down to the changeover at 4-2. At that moment Sinner touches his back, an obvious sign of physical discomfort.
Machac continues to push and extends to 5-2. Then also comes a double fault by the Azure that opens the way to 6-2. Sinner struggled to serve with continuity, clearly affected by the back problem, and the Czech took advantage all the way, closing the tie-break 7-3 and taking the match to the third set.
The long streak of 37 consecutive sets won by Sinner in Masters 1000s was thus interrupted. A figure that also tells of the difficulties in the second partial, in which he put just 46% first serve.
In the third set Sinner seems okay, the certainty comes with the 12 fifteen in a row that allow him to leapfrog to 3-1. At the changeover at 3-2 Jannik calls the doctor and explains that he is feeling weak. He takes a tablet and then regularly re-enters the court. Physiotherapist for Machac, who has his left arm massaged. He recovers and the two hold serve (4-3) but then the redhead takes off and wins 6-3, snatching serve from his tenacious rival at zero.
