By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Friday, March 29, 2024
Jannik Sinner crushed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 to advance to his third Miami Open final and improve to 21-1 on the season.
Photo credit: Miami Open/Hard Rock Stadium
The court color scheme screamed pain.
A ruthless Jannik Sinner dispensed bruising combinations battering Daniil Medvedev right out of the Miami Open.
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The rematch of the epic Australian Open final was a mismatch.
A sharp Sinner shredded Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 roaring into his third career Miami Open final.
Since last September, Sinner has been a world beater posting a 13-2 mark vs. fellow Top 10 players, including a 5-0 mark against Medvedev.
"Obviously i started off great in both sets which gave me a lot of confidence,” Sinner told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj afterward. “Starting a break up, it makes a huge difference. Then he had a couple of break points in the first set, one break point in the second set. I just tried to stay very calm.
“I was [up] a set and a break trying to play at my rhythm. He changed a couple of things at the end of the match. I just tried to stay very calm. And so I have to be obviously happy about this performance and let’s see what’s coming.”
Standing toe-to-toe on the baseline, Sinner broke down Medvedev’s best shot, the two-handed backhand, and took his strikes down the line avenging his 7-5, 6-3 loss to Medvedev in the 2023 Miami Open final.
Since that defeat, Sinner has beaten Medvedev five times in a row, including rallying from two sets down to capture his maiden major at the Australian Open last January.
The 22-year-old Sinner improved to 21-1 on the season advancing to Sunday’s final against either fourth-seeded Alexander Zverev or 11th-seeded Grigor Dimitrov.
Olympic gold-medal champion Zverev owns a 4-1 career record over Sinner. The lanky Italian has defeated Dimitrov in two of their three meetings.
This afternoon’s semifinal pitted two of the most proficient returners in the sport. They showed it as Sinner spun a sharp-angled forehand to score first-break blood for 2-0.
The two-time Miami finalist denied a couple of break points backing up the break for 3-0 after 15 minutes.
Trying to straddle the baseline and take the initiative, Medvedev was victimized by the Sinner backhand down the line.
Displacing the Russian with an inside out forehand, Sinner stepped into the court and zapped a forehand winner down the line, converting his fourth break point for 4-0.
The Italian Davis Cup hero was imposing his first serve—Sinner won 10 of 13 first-serve points extending his lead to 5-0.
The 2021 US Open champion issued a love hold to finally get on the board after 27 minutes.
Sinner stamped his own love hold to close a commanding opening set in just 33 minutes.
An overwhelmed Medvedev was gesturing his angst to coach Gilles Cervara, while Sinner continued to punish the big man’s serve.
Reading the wide serve, Sinner roped a return winner down the line, freezing Medvedev and shattering his third break to start the second set.
When trouble came for Sinner, who thrashed it.
Confronting break point in the fourth game, Sinner smacked a big serve then slashed successive aces stretching his lead to 3-1.
Rarely do you see master tactician Medvedev looked so dazed and debilitated on court, but the world No. 4 seemed out of answers as he slapped his signature shot, the backhand, wide to drop serve for the fourth time.
Sinner served it out in 69 minutes and will play for his third title of the year on Sunday.