Adriano Panatta ruthless on Jannik Sinner’s opponents
Adriano Panatta ruthless on Jannik Sinner’s opponents
In the aftermath of Jannik Sinner's triumph at the Australian Open, Adriano Panatta gave an interview to 'Tuttosport' in which he did not discount the world number one's opponents: "They need to go back to school, all of them, and I don't understand why they don't do it, why they don't run for cover. To measure up against Sinner with his own style of play is to go looking for trouble. They have to improve, all of them, just like he did. To measure themselves on other tracks, to make changes that make their shots not only more powerful, but more polished, more brilliant, to look for new ways, and more than anything else, to learn to read matches well. In this Sinner excels, he always knows what to do, and also how and when to do it".
"Carlos Alcaraz, too? In one way sì he too. The Spaniard è endowed with a tennis already different from that of Sinner, he belongs to a’different school and in some small things tends to even resemble Federer. He has the same taste for the beautiful point, and he feels within himself the needé to entertain the audience. But at least in one thing he needs to improve quickly. In continuity;. He must find within himself, and in his own peculiarities, a more solid tennis. Sinner has’done that. Alcaraz not yet".
According to the former tennis player there are very few rivals to the South Tyrolean: "C’è Alcaraz, when he plays at his highest level. And I am convinced that even Djokovic can still try to create nuisances for Sinner, but on the short distance, two sets out of three, in Slams you know, the matter changes, the fatigues double and I do not think that Nole still has the intention to undergo such heartbreaks. All the others, at the moment, are no longer to be considered, not even Medvedev, Tsitsipas or Rublev, those who at least one match, last year, took it away from him. Zverev was the’last anti-Sinner card of a’whole category of tennis players, and you’ve seen how it’s turned out. Maybe someone will pop up on the’horizon. Many people tell me it will be’Fonseca, whom I saw in Bologna in the Davis Cup. I say maybe, although the Brazilian’s progress is evident (ed: as of today he will be number 98, in the hundred for the first time) and his hand certainly one of the best around".
"Sinner canò make the Grand Slam? That word I will not tell you. It è not the case. I was good friends with Rod Laver, the’last one to accomplish the feat, and you can’t even imagine how much humility’s in that man. We also played doubles together. He always told me that it takes dumb luck to go all the way in the Slam season. Forò sì if Sinner were to win Roland Garros as well, at that point a thought would be inevitable. You’re about to ask if Sinner can make it on clay, too, aren’t you? Well, looking at the chasm that has è now formed between him and the others, sure, he can do it. It is necessary to see what opponents he will find on the way. Forò, whyé no?" concurred Panatta.
