Jannik Sinner debuts at the 2024 Australian Open with a 3-set victory. The 22-year-old Italian, number 4 in the world, in the first round today 14 January 2024 defeats the Dutch Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in 2h34'. Sinner, still understandably running in, closed the practice with 26 overall winners (7 aces) without paying the price for the lackluster performance on serve (58% of first balls) and for the 37 gratuitous errors. In the second round, Italy's best player awaits the winner of the match between Jesper de Jong, another Dutchman, and the Argentine Pedro Cachin.
The match
Sinner starts off on the right foot: the blue hammers his opponent's forehand and scores the break in the opening game. Even for Sinner there is an inevitable run-in and the world number 4 has to face 2 break points in the first round of service: the opportunities for van de Zandschulp are canceled (2-0). Sinner has 2 more break points at his disposal in the fifth game, he doesn't take advantage of the opportunities but he doesn't pay the price: the South Tyrolean archives his service rounds without conceding anything and with 10 winners in total he closes the first set 6-4.
The second set could offer the same script, but Sinner doesn't take advantage of the immediate opportunity for the break: the backhand gets stuck at the best moment and van de Zandschulp gets a tiring 1-0 in the only game that's really fought until 5-5. Sinner accelerates at the right moment to avoid the tie-break: when the exchange takes off, the Dutchman's forehand goes off the rails. 2 precious break points arrive for the blue, who takes advantage of the second and puts the arrow (6-5) closing the practice for 7-5.
The first game of the third set could pave the way for Sinner towards victory. The Italian number 1 has 4 break points at his disposal but van de Zandschulp, who evidently suffers particularly at the beginning of each fraction, manages to climb back from the abyss. The first empty pass arrives for Sinner, who goes out, giving up the serve to zero (0-2). The blue, however, immediately puts the plug back on: immediate counterbreak (1-2) with a return on track. The South Tyrolean service runs on alternating current and hooking the 2-2 is a more laborious operation than expected. On the other hand, return performance rises when needed and with the second break in a row Sinner takes the lead (3-2). The road is downhill but there is no shortage of obstacles, as demonstrated by the 3 break points that the Italian concedes and cancels in the sixth game to win a tiring 4-2. van de Zandschulp misses the last train and Sinner closes 6-3, with the last break of the day: first mission accomplished.
Arnaldi starts off well
Matteo Arnaldi gets through the first round by beating Australian wild card Adam Walton, world number 176, in 3 sets. The Italian, number 41 in the ranking, won 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4. In the second round, the Ligurian awaits the winner of the challenge between the Australian Alex de Minaur, number 10 in the draw, and the Canadian Milos Raonic.
In the women's draw, Lucia Bronzetti eliminated. The Italian lost to the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko, seeded number 28, who won with a score of 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.
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