Halle Open: Jannik Sinner makes a tremendous comeback against Tallon Griekspoor and avoids elimination in 1st round

The first round of the Halle Open 2024 proved to be a tough challenge for Jannik Sinner, who found himself a set down against Tallon Griekspoor after losing the first set tie break.

However, the world No. 1 managed to recover from the initial scare and turn the match around to topple the Dutchman 6(8)-7, 6-3, 6-2.

1ST SET.

In the first set, Griekspoor would have a break point on Sinner's first serve, but the Italian managed to save it without too much trouble and even the score at 1-1 after the Dutchman won the first game of the match. That break opportunity for Griekspoor would be the only one that the spectators would be able to enjoy in the whole first set. Neither of the two players managed to do practically any damage to their opponent's serve, and as a consequence the first set was going to be decided in the tie break.

In the tiebreak, Sinner started with a comfortable 4-0 lead after winning Griekspoor's first two serves. However, the tables were soon turned, and the Dutchman cut it to 5-4 with a mini break along the way. The world number 1 would have a first set ball on his serve, but he would not be able to materialize it. Griekspoor also had a 'set point' with his serve winning 7-8, but like Sinner he was going to miss that opportunity.

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The tie break was going crazy. At 8-8, no one dared to predict who was going to take this first set until, at 8-9 after Tallon Griekspoor won his second serve, the Dutchman pulled off a surprise and managed to take the first set 8-10 in the tiebreak after a crucial mini break on Jannik Sinner's serve. The world number 1, against the ropes.

2ND SET.

In the second set, Sinner was in a very worrying situation: a set down in his first match at the Halle Open and not showing very positive signs with his game. Despite going 0-30 down in the first game of the second set, the Italian managed to turn it around and make it 1-0, looking for an instant change of momentum.

Despite the palpable tension, the match was far from being the most entertaining in the world. After the aforementioned 1-0, three consecutive blank games followed: two for Griekspoor and one for Sinner, which left the set at 2-2. But from this point on, things were going to change. The Dutchman went 0-40 on the Italian's serve and set off all the alarms in the world number 1's box. However, Sinner managed to turn the situation around and save his game to make it 3-2.

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This was going to offer him an injection of confidence that was going to be translated, then in his first break balls of the match. On the first one he failed to break Griekspoor's serve, but on the second one Sinner got that longed break that put him 4-2 up. With a game in white, the Italian certified the break and went 5-2 up. He had the set on track, and finally he was going to close it by a score of 6-3 to send the match to the third and final.

3RD SET.

In the third set the victory was going to be decided, but on which side was it going to fall? The first game was going to be the longest of the match by far, with up to 15 disputed points, although surprisingly not a single break point. Tallon Griekspoor finally managed to serve out and make it 0-1.

At 1-1, Sinner would have the first break point of the third set, and would materialize it to take 2-1 with the opportunity to certify the break and begin to put his victory on track. With a game in white she made it 3-1. Griekspoor served his next serve and cut it to 3-2, hoping to get a break before it was too late.

The 4-2 would come for Sinner, but not without suffering. The Italian began to see victory on the horizon, and even more so after getting a last break to take a 5-2 lead that was to be definitive. With his serve, Jannik Sinner closed the third set 6-2 and with a game in white to certify the comeback after losing the tie break of the first set. In the second round of the Halle Open the world number 1 will face Fabian Marozsan.

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José Morgado

@josemorgado

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UNBELIEVABLE! Jannik Sinner with one of the points of the year. And in such a big moment as well.

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