Sinner adds another victory against Djokovic

They were the opening act for the match that half the planet wanted to see, that last Nadal-Alcaraz, but they turned their match into what could have been any final of a great tournament. It didn’t seem like it at the beginning of the match, but the Serbian became emboldened, filled with pride at seeing himself against the executioner who has most gripped him in recent times: three victories out of the last four. This is the fifth, although it does not add up in the statistics, but it does add up in the head. And although it was for Sinner, he is already more than aware that Djokovic is still here, very very alive.

Sinner did not want to lose the dynamics of this 2024, still pending the resolution of the Court of Arbitration for Sport against the decision of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that exempted him from all responsibility for those two doping in March for clostebol of the that no one found out until September because the player was not removed from the circuit during the investigation, as is usually the norm in these cases. On the court, he was the robot he has become in recent times, especially in this 2024 of splendor, seven titles and number 1 without opposition. A punishment from the bottom against a Djokovic who did intend for this to be a party. Until they touched his pride.

Cautious, the Serbian, who slipped into the Masters Cup at the last minute because the course was not as brilliant as he was used to, Olympic gold in his record, nevertheless, he allowed himself to offer an image of 60% of his potential. I didn’t want to put more at stake or risk against a Sinner who has a hard time knowing how to lower his heart rate when there are no real titles at the end of the fight.

Or perhaps it is that he does not want to lower them so as not to suffer a setback when he faces the last month of competition, with the Paris Masters 1,000 and the Masters Cup as major objectives.

The Italian struck from side to side, almost without finding answers on the other side of the net at the beginning of the clash. The Serbian, who also plays a lot with pride, became active and smiled as he won the first game already at 3-0. But he was not at that moment either to raise his level or to endure the whirlwind of backhands and forehands that is Sinner when he wants, which is always.

He immediately headed for victory in the first round and Djokovic was saved from blushing thanks to that fine and elegant wrist that he knows how to use when his opponent insists on using his power to beat him. He even found a break in those resources at the beginning of the second set in which, luckily for the most tennis-loving spectator, there were longer three-stroke exchanges.

Djokovic began to arm himself with that excellent tennis with which he has dominated his usual rivals and those who arrived. He took advantage of a small drop from Sinner with his second serve, which allowed him to enter a phase of the match as if on Saturday a major title was being distributed and not only, only, five and a half million euros.

If Sinner does not attend exhibitions, neither does Djokovic, competitor as he is, have a “play for enjoyment” mode when his pride is appealed to. Both gave a high-level end to the second set and an exhibition tie-break, but of pure tennis, as if they were not playing just for money in this half-gas pavilion in terms of attendance.

Above all, the Serbian showed off Sinner in those final seven points in which he showed all his passion, his game and his potential. A seven zero like on the best afternoons in Belgrade, for a tennis celebration and to vindicate oneself even when there is nothing at stake. Although the Serbian paid for the effort, as the physio had to come out to attend to his right shoulder.

He didn’t notice it in the third set against a tense Sinner, also with his teeth clenched because he wanted that moral victory to add to his mentality. It cost him much more than expected, because Djokovic is not willing to be carried away by the trend of his fellow promotions. He is still here, at the top of tennis (24 Grand Slams and 40 Masters 1,000 endorse it) and he demonstrated it to Riyadh, standing up with highlights from his best moments.

After the show, he lowered the revs and allowed Sinner to finish with the victory and who will play for the title of this Six Kings Slam in which neither of the two has taken it as an exhibition. On the contrary, both have shown themselves in a big way.