By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 8, 2021
Nineteen-year-old Jannik Sinner topped Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in the Washington, DC final making history as the youngest ATP 500-level champion.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
Two championship points eluded Jannik Sinner, a wall of sound echoed in his ears and final tiebreak loomed before his eyes.
Through all the turbulence, the 19-year-old Sinner kept clubbing his drives and refusing to act his age.
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Riding his electric strokes and steely will, Sinner subdued Mackenzie McDonald 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 in a thrilling Citi Open final to capture his third career title in Washington, DC.
It's a historic breakthrough championship for Sinner who is the youngest ATP 500 champion—and first teenage champin—since the tournament category was created in 2009. The victory vaults Sinner to a new career-high rank of No. 15 in the live rankings.
"So obviously I'm very, very happy about this tournament and win today, but, you know, I'm not looking if I'm the youngest, whatever, because the road is long," Sinner said. "Yeah, the goals and everything, I still have to do everything, to be honest. I mean, okay, I won three titles, but doesn't mean everything. My mindset, I'm already for the next tournament."
Four months ago, Sinner fell to doubles partner Hubert Hurkacz in the Miami Open final and said his goal was "to win or learn."
Today, Sinner did accomplished both missions out-dueling first-time finalist McDonald, who showed grit and guts fighting off 16 of 21 break points and pushing the fifth seed to the very brink of a final-set tiebreaker. Credit the world No. 107 from battling back from deficits of 0-3 and 2-5 down in the decider. McDonald saved a pair of championship points holding for 3-5 then broke when Sinner served for the title at 5-4.
Tugging on his baseball cap, Sinner kept calm, continued firing away and hit his way into history with his third career title. Sinner, who celebrates his 20th birthday on August 16th, raised his record to 29-14 wrapping up an impressive week that saw him slay four Americans in a row—12th-seeded Sebastian Korda, Stevie Johnson, Jenson Brooksby and McDonald—to take his biggest title.
Though many fans may have had visions of a Rafael Nadal final after the 20-time Grand Slam champion played DC for the first time, maiden ATP finalist McDonald and Sinner collaborated on a phenomenal final. Former NCAA champion McDonald's eye-popping court coverage extended rallies against Sinner's pulsating power.
Following a punishing two hour, 45-minute victory over Kei Nishikori last night, how would McDonald respond physically and emotionally in his first ATP final? The American was adrenalized early, smacking shots with vigor.
"I'd say it was a super tough match today," McDonald said. "Jannik is a great player, very professional, very young and up-and-coming guy. Yeah, he's going to win a lot of tournaments.
"I'm happy with how I competed, how I played. You know, I feel like I really put everything out there. Maybe could have played a little bit better at times and served a little bit better, in my opinion. But I did everything I could expect of myself, and I'm very happy with the week overall and my progress as a player."
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
The weight of Sinner's heavy drives rattled out three forehand errors from McDonald. Sinner stepped in and sent the American in a series of sideline-to-sideline sprints scoring the first break for 3-1.
Sinner shed a break point with an ace out wide, but McDonald continued the pressure using his drop shot to drag the Italian off the baseline. On his fourth break point, McDonald zapped a brilliant running forehand strike down the line capping a near 10-minute game with the break back.
Poise and presence are assets the Italian teenager has showed throughout this tournament. Staring down three set points at 5-6 yesterday, Sinner calmed the storm subduing American wild card Jenson Brooksby. Today, Sinner snapped off some electric drives breaking back at love then slashed his fifth ace to go up 5-2.
Explosive court coverage helped McDonald close the gap again. Luring Sinner forward with the angled dropper, McDonald hit a full stretch volley into the open court to break back in the ninth game. Sinner had dropped serve just three times in four tournament wins; McDonald broke him twice in the first set.
Serving to level, McDonald fended off four set points using the slider serve out wide to erase the fourth set point. The American hit the same spot swiping away a fifth set point. McDonald won a 14-shot rally to deny a sixth set point. In a stirring stand, McDonald withstood all that set point stress then slammed a forehand down the line capping a 10-minute hold to level after 10 games.
Even when playing deep down the middle, the weight of Sinner's drives posed problems for McDonald, who went down triple set point in the 12th game. McDonald slid aces erasing the seventh and eighth break points then got away with a serve-and-volley on a second serve denying a ninth set point.
An unruly error gave Sinner a 10th set point, but a net-cord shot sat up and McDonald knocked off a forehand to save it. On Sinner's 11th set point he cracked a crosscourt backhand drawing a netted reply to take the opening set in 67 minutes.
The 107th-ranked McDonald repeatedly lifted his level under stress. McDonald found his first serve at the right time saving a pair of break points to even the second set after six games.
Bidding to become the first American man to win Washington, DC since Andy Roddick in 2007, McDonald clawed and scraped and took his cracks when they came.
On the full stretch, McDonald wristed a backhand pass down the line for break point then broke for 4-3—his first lead all day—when Sinner found the net.
Serving to force a final set, McDonald didn't flinch. Instead, he threw a wrinkle at Sinner serve-and-volleying on a second serve working through a confident hold to take his first final to a third set.
A two-handed self-preservation volley helped Sinner build pressure in the second game. McDonald again stood tall snapping a smash to save his 14th break point of the day. Baseline aggression has fueled Sinner's rise up the rankings, but he used another timely trip to net to knock off a forehand volley that helped him earn break point. Blasting a backhand pass, Sinner rattled a volley error breaking with a sustained shout.
Holding a 3-1 lead, Sinner double faulted to face a pair of break points, ratcheting up drama. Sinners saved both then banged a backhand down the line to erase a third break point. Sinner turned his shoulders into his two-hander down the line rapping a winner for 4-1.
Playing catch-up from the start, McDonald never met a point he didn't think he could pull out. The 2016 NCAA champion fought off a pair of championship points holding for 3-5 and shifting the pressure right back on Sinner's shoulders.
On the brink of victory, the Italian blinked with a tense four-error game to gift back the break.
Throughout a topsy-turvy final set both men showed reset skills. Sinner slashed his ninth ace for a 6-5 lead.
As the match careened toward climax, a dizzying exchange of acute angles erupted with a stretching Sinner flicking a backhand that left McDonald sprawling across the blue court and his Wilson racquet flying.
A Sinner smash helped him earn a third championship point. A fierce fight ended with McDonald netting a backhand concluding an entertaining two hour, 52-minute final. In the end, Sinner won precisely four more points, 118 to 114, than McDonald.
A third title and another lesson for Sinner.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
"I think there is still much work to do, to be honest," Sinner said. "A lot of experience to put in, working hard as we are doing now, and, you know, trying to play important matches, important matches and important moments of a match.
"Today I think I had a lot of them. I can learn many things about today."