Jannik Sinner heroic in Vienna: his in comeback final over Alexander Zverev

Jannik Sinner won the ATP 500 tournament in Vienna, beating an indomitable Alexander Zverev not without difficulty in three sets, at the end of a very tense match played on the edge of balance and a less than perfect physical condition on the part of the South Tyrolean. In the end it ended 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 after 2 hours and 28 minutes of play. For the San Candido outfielder this is the 22nd career title and the fourth of the season, achieved after taking part in ten tournaments and eight finals.

The start of the match is not easy for Sinner, who misses a break point in the first game to immediately put the arrow on Zverev and instead gives up serve that makes it 3-1 to the German. The South Tyrolean was again unlucky in the fifth game, with two more break points thwarted, but good at cancelling as many for his opponent in the next game. The paw to get back on track, however, did not come, and the set closed at 3-6.

A whole different trend for the next set, which opened instead with a resounding 3-0 thrashing by Sinner to the ATP No. 3. Especially important were the second game, with the break ball finally converted, and the third in which Zverev closed to 0 points. There were no more rattles, with the San Candido champion not conceding even a crumb and evening the set count with the same score as in the first.

A match with seemingly reversed destiny, however, threatens to change face again in the third and decisive set. Sinner builds two more break points at 2-2, both rebounded by Zverev. Then he begins touching the back of his thigh and exhibiting a dangerously limp’gait. One would think that the German would be able to close it out thanks to these problems as well, but exactly the opposite happens: the South Tyrolean snatches service from his opponent, taking a 6-5 lead and, after taking seven points in a row, also puts the Vienna tournament in his pocket.