He beat Rublev, the number 7 in the world, giving him just six games without jeopardizing the technical dominance: return to the second and crossed backhand lethal weapons
Making victories against strong players look simple: that’s the quality of great champions. Sinner demonstrated it in the fantastic ride of just 71 minutes against Rublev in the round of 16 of the Masters 1000 in Miami: he reduced the number 7 in the world to impotence, as if giving him just six games without practically ever jeopardizing the technical domination of the match was the most normal of days in the office. The match confirmed that the Russian does not have the weapons to be able to face a Jannik at his full potential and his meager game, made up of broadsides on the serve and with the forehand that aim to close the rallies quickly, cannot counteract the completeness and the tactical intelligence of the Italian player. However things go, the two great American tournaments deliver a real and rapidly growing player to the circuit and a boy to our tennis who will soon give us great satisfaction. Not that there were any doubts, because Sinner has been adding something to his game and to his qualities for a couple of years, net of a few physical hitches, at every game. In other words, we are not faced with the exploit of a moment, with the sudden explosion not supported by solid technical foundations, but with a constant maturation accompanied by shrewd choices, on and off the pitch.
Growth
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There is no doubt that Jannik is no longer the twig tossed around by more muscularly powerful opponents, but an almost built man with a defined and reactive physique, or that the serve is becoming a very incisive weapon. Against Rublev, a couple of perfectly played short balls at the most opportune moments caught the eye, as well as some elegant shots on goal, as if that territory was no longer taboo. However, I would dwell on a couple of details that are really digging a furrow against the opponents: the return on the second serve and the crossed backhand. As far as the response is concerned, the change in attitude was decisive: until last year Sinner played the shot three meters behind the baseline to make sure he could start the rally, now he has moved much further forward with the intention of hurt immediately, a studied aggression that is getting him a lot of points, sending his rivals into a tailspin. As for the backhand, it’s now one of the most terrifying shots on the circuit, with practically zero error percentages and the ability to find even more exaggerated angles than the forehand. At this point, everyone awaits with anxiety mixed with hope and curiosity another eventual semifinal challenge against Alcaraz, in what promises to be one of the most electrifying rivalries in tennis to come. Well, the important thing is to understand that Sinner now has the skills and the conviction to play an equal match with the young Spanish phenomenon and that even if he were to lose again, two semifinals in a row are not played by chance in Indian Wells and Miami. Because those are results intended only for those who no longer have to set limits.
March 29 – 07:07
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