Jannik Sinner won an outstanding match. © APA / getty / Sarah Bull
What a fight, what emotions, what a victory: Jannik Sinner made it through to the last sixteen on Saturday evening (CEST) at the US Open in a dramatic way. The match against Gael Monfils offered everything that makes the tennis heart beat faster.
05. September 2021
Author: leo
Getting momentum in the first few laps and then improving continuously is the route in tennis. Jannik Sinner obviously took this to heart, because after two decent performances, the 20-year-old made an appearance on Saturday in the Louis Armstrong Stadium that deserved the adjective excellently – at least for long stretches, because in between the Sesto let them in or recognize other weaknesses. Nevertheless, after almost four dramatic hours, Sinner prevailed 7: 6, 6: 2, 4: 6, 4: 6 and 6: 4.
From the first blow, Sinner could be seen that, given the class of his opponent, he approached the matter with greater concentration – especially in his own service games. The rate of the first serves was high, the number of mistakes low. And yet he had to fend off three breakballs when the score was 4: 4. However, that was due to the French, who was careful about everything, played accordingly risky and put Sinner under pressure. With this tactic, the 35-year-old also had success with a score of 5: 5. He broke Sinner, but couldn’t close the sentence. He had led 30-0 in the game. From then on, Monfils lost eleven of the next twelve points. Conversely, this meant that the youngster not only equalized 6: 6, but also won the following tie-break 7: 1 without discussion.
Sinner has the upper hand
Monfils was completely off the mark now. Although he was able to prevent a break in the first games of the second set thanks to his crashing serve, as the minutes continued, he won virtually no point as soon as the rally began. That couldn’t go well – also because Sinner, on the other hand, didn’t give away a ball, didn’t let himself down despite missing break chances and felt that he was the better player that day. The numbers expressed this superiority: thanks to two breaks, he grabbed the second set with 6: 2.
Ein Showman: Gael Monfils © ANSA / JUSTIN LANE
What impressed so far was Sinner’s light-footedness: Despite the six hours played in the first two matches, he moved like a gazelle, was right for every ball and was accordingly strong on the defensive. Monfils (initially) did not find an answer to this Sinner. His wife Elina Svitolina, who has already reached the women’s round of 16, looked similarly perplexed in the stands. Only when the audience tuned in and cheered the French on loudly did the world number 20 rear up. again on. He earned four breakballs, but Sinner defended all of them. Even more: Shortly afterwards, the South Tyrolean managed a break, which he could not defend. Not least because the error rate now skyrocketed and Monfils played much better. The Frenchman came back out of nowhere – and won the third set 6: 4.
Sinner makes life difficult for herself
The turn? Not at all! After losing the set, Sinner left the pitch for a short time and came back with all the greater momentum: In the first service game, he took the service from his counterpart – also thanks to a sensational point. And although he then escaped to 4-0, the cake was not yet eaten. One bad game was enough to bring Monfils back to life – only 4-3. And a few moments later it was even 4: 5 after Sinner recently gave up his serve. The Louis Armstrong Stadium, which stood closed behind the extroverted Frenchman, had now turned into a madhouse at the latest. That impressed the young South Tyrolean, who not only completely lost his thread, but also the sentence – it went into fifth.
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Was rewarded for his commitment: Jannik Sinner © ANSA / JUSTIN LANE
This started exactly like the one before – namely with a break for Sinner. With the experience of the fourth sentence behind him, the youngster was now forewarned. In his own service games he got into trouble again and again, but always pulled his head out of the noose and saved the lead over the distance with the last of his strength. When he used his first match ball after 3.44 hours, Sinner looked relieved up, pounded on his heart and let his emotions run free. Monfils took the defeat sportily and congratulated fair.
In the round of 16, everything now points to a duel against the German Alexander Zverev (ATP 4). The 24-year-old is playing his third round against American Jack Sock and is the big favorite.
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