By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 7, 2021
Jannik Sinner saved triple-set point in the 12th game stopping wild card Jenson Brooksby 7-6(2), 6-1 to reach his third final of the season in Washington, DC.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy
American hard courts are stages for Jannik Sinner to shine—and American players continue to feel his burn.
The 19-year-old Sinner saved triple-set point in the 12th game sparking a 7-6(2), 6-1 victory over Jenson Brooksby to charge into his third final of the season at the Citi Open in Washington, DC.
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"He is very great, great player. He understands the game very well," Sinner said of Brooksby. "It's not easy playing against him. Mixing up the shots very well and tried, you know, to sticking to my game plan and trying to a little bit -- sometimes I try to go to the net just to try to interrupt his rhythm a little bit.
"I knew after the moment on 5-6, Love-40 I was, yeah, a little bit lucky. Then I played well. On 15-40 I mixed it up with a short slice, and then I think, you know, I played well there the tiebreak which gave me confidence for the second set, and I started well there.
"You know, I think it was a great match from both of us. I mean, I think the level was quite high. The intensity was high."
Last spring, Sinner reached the Miami Open final falling to Hubert Hurkacz. Tomorrow, Sinner will play for his third career title against 107th-ranked American Mackenzie McDonald for the Washington, DC title.
McDonald scorched return winners breaking in the final game to edge Kei Nishikori 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 and reach his first career ATP final.
"It means a lot. My biggest goal, results-wise, I wrote down, was win a 250 and ATP title," McDonald said. "This is one step closer that I haven't been to that. Yeah, it means a lot.
"I'm trying to downplay, or I guess downplay a little bit, try to keep my cool. I guess that's what's really helping me, not make the moments too big, getting too high or too low, staying focused, knowing the values behind it."
The fifth-seeded Sinner has not dropped a set in four Citi Open tournament wins, taking down three talented Americans—Sebastian Korda, Stevie Johnson and Brooksby—in succession.
Anticipating a tricky test against Newport finalist Brooksby, who deploys a drop shot so stealth Tennis Channel analyst Jimmy Arias called it the best he's season, Sinner cracked drives into the corner, ran down several key drop shots and replied with the re-dropper, served with precision and beat Brooksby in pivotal backhand-to-backhand exchanges.
Sinner served six aces against one double fault and won 25 of 30 points against Brooksby, who has been a sharp returner through his ATP 500-level debut taking down Kevin Anderson, Frances Tiafoe and second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in succession.
Following his 7-6(3), 7-6(3) win over Korda, Sinner said their styles are so similar it felt like playing a mirror. Today's opening semifinal may have felt like facing a fun-house mirror for Sinner who was quick off the mark when Brooksby played off pace.
On paper, this semifinal clash shaped up as a match of Sinner's electric power off both wings vs. Brooksby's clever court sense and finesse. Utlimately, Sinner some guile and feel of his own and served bigger and bolder.
Rather than just trying to hit through the rangy 6'4" American, Sinner channeled his power with patience, waited for his openings and frequently beat Brooksby in taking his own backhand down the line.
Deadlocked at 5-all, Brooksby dodged danger denying break point with a daring drop shot-forehand down the line combination to quiet the threat.
A pair of return strikes and a backhand down the line gave the American triple set point in the 12th game. Sinner saved all three set points—as Brooksby missed a couple of returns and a backhand approach—then punished a series of forehands for game point. The 19-year-old Italian held firm to force the tiebreaker.
Reading the Brooksby drop shot, Sinner answered by nudging a re-dropper to open with the mini break. Brooksby netted his normally trusty two-hander to fall behind 1-3. Sinner scorched his fifth ace to extend to 4-1.
On his first set point, Sinner snatched a one-set lead when Brooksby netted a dropper to end an entertaining 55-minute opener.
A thumping smash from Sinner and an errant backhand down the line from the wild card put Brooksby in a double break point bind in the fourth game. Brooksby dabbed a drop shot, a streaking Sinner caught up to it, bunted back his reply then soared to tap a jumping overhead breaking for 3-1.
Punctuating that break with a confident look to his support box, Sinner slid his sixth ace and a serve winner sealing a strong hold at 15 to stretch his second-set edge to 4-1.
Sinner closed a confident victory in 90 minutes.
Despite the defeat, it's been a wondrous run for Brooksby, who was ranked No. 310 in January and has rocketed to No. 99 with his Newport final and Washington, DC semifinal runs.
Sinner, who raised his record to 28-14, rises to No. 18 in the live rankings.