Jannik Sinner downs Hubert Hurkacz to lift Hale Open

Italy’s Jannik Sinner celebrated winning the world number one crown after winning the Halle Open with a win against Hubert Hurkacz. The 22-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Sinner recently became the world number one after consistent performances this season. He replaced Djokovic at the top of the ATP rankings. The young tennis star celebrated the milestone with a big win, lifting the Halle Open title on Sunday.

The San Candido-born star defeated Hurkacz in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 7-6. There was not much difference between the players on the day but Sinner, time and again, showcased his class in difficult circumstances and eventually came out on top.

The primary difference between the players on the day was Sinner’s ability to produce the goods on his own serve. He ended up winning 85 percent service points which was considerably higher than his opponent who managed to win 69 percent points while serving.

The victory was Sinner’s fourth title this year and his first-ever on a grass court. The current world number one will now be heading to Wimbledon with high confidence, which was slightly shattered after he suffered a defeat in the semifinal of the French Open to Alcaraz in a five-set thrilling contest with a score of 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1, 6–2.

Sinner’s first title this season was the Australian Open. He lifted the title after beating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the final in a five-set thrilling contest with a score of 3–6, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–3. He then won an ATP event in Rotterdam after beating Australia’s Alex de Minaur in the final in straight sets with a score of 7-5, 6-4. Sinner’s last time before his win in Halle was the Miami Open, where he defeated Grigor Dimitrov in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-3, 6-1.