By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Thursday, August 8, 2024
In his first match since Wimbledon, Jannik Sinner beat Borna Coric 6-2, 6-4 in his Montreal opener, improving to 23-1 on hard courts this year.
Photo credit: Rob Newell/CameraSport
Tonsillitis took Jannik Sinner out of the Olympic Games.
In his tour return today, Sinner stung shots with conviction and closing with a bold backhand bite.
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Defending champion Sinner blasted a backhand bolt down the line wrapping a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Borna Coric in Montreal.
Sinner served just 49 percent, but imposed the last word when landing first serve.
World No. 1 Sinner won 22 of 26 first-serve points, pumped nine aces against two double faults and saved the only break point he faced in a powerful 96-minute victory.
"I was very happy and excited to go back on court," Sinner told the media in Montreal. "For sure it was a tough match, but I served quite well in important moments and returned well in the games when I broke him.
"So very positive start. So, yeah, let's see what's coming."
On a day in which third-seeded Daniil Medvedev was upset by Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori toppled eighth-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 6-4 and Brandon Nakashima won an all-American battle vs. 10th-seeded Tommy Paul 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-1, Sinner broke in the third game and never looked back, often dictating the direction of key rallies.
Sinner raised his 2024 record to 43-4, including a near-flawless 23-1 hard-court record this season.
"It's very difficult. It's not easy to play and to play here in these conditions," Sinner said. "You know, there's sometimes a little bit of breeze. The ball flies. So it's tough to get into the rhythm.
"Obviously after Miami, it's the first time back on hard court also, so that's a scenario. The first match is always very difficult and tough. I was fortunate to play also a couple of matches in doubles, you know, to get this match feeling back."
Next up for Sinner is either Italian Davis Cup doubles partner Lorenzo Sonego or talented 15th-seeded Chilean left-hander Alejandro Tabilo.
Since Sinner’s 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells semifinals last March, he’s won seven straight hard-court matches. That streak includes Sinner’s inspired run to the Miami Open title where he won 11 of 12 sets and closed with successive blow-outs of Medvedev in the semifinals and Grigor Dimitrov in the final.
You can make the case North American hard courts are the best surface for the Australian Open champion’s assertive baseline game.
This was Sinner’s first match since his five-set loss to Medvedev in the Wimbledon semifinals. A bout of tonsillitis knocked Sinner out of the Paris Olympics, a withdrawal he called “heart breaking,” though Davis Cup teammate Lorenzo Musetti did capture the bronze medal for Italy at the Paris Games.
Seeking his first Top 5 win since toppling No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas at the 2022 Vienna, qualifier Coric came out trying to extend points, but Sinner’s superior power put the Croatian in uncomfortable positions.
Three games into this match, Sinner was already swiping perspiration from his face with his sweatband—-and turning up the heat on Coric. Hitting heavy forehands down the middle, Sinner drew an errant forehand converting his fifth break point for a 2-1 lead.
Sinner surged through six points in a row stretching his lead to 3-1.
Mixing in the drop shot as a disruptive complement to his crackling drives, Sinner stamped a second straight love hold for 4-2.
The pace of Sinner’s crackling forehand shrunk Coric’s response time. Scalding successive forehands, Sinner elicited another forehand error scoring his second break for 5-2.
Though Sinner was struggling to land his first serve at times it was there when needed. Sinner zapped his third ace out wide to snatch a one-set lead after 45 minutes.
The challenge for Coric: Sinner was doing everything better—and frequently faster too. Trying to squeeze his forehand down the line into the top seed’s backhand, Coric missed the mark ceding the break and a 2-1 second-set lead.
Working through his toughest service game, Sinner stood toe-to-toe with Coric in a crackling forehand exchange, eventually drawing an errant forehand to hold for 4-2 after 77 minutes of play.
Sinner banged a backhand winner down the line, improving to 28-1 in opening-round matches since the start of 2023.