Jannik Sinner out of any of the big names has been the most impressive at the 2024
Australian Open and has continued to not drop a set. In a match expected to go the distance, he brushed aside
Andrey Rublev in straight sets.
Sinner now sets up a showdown with Novak Djokovic who while not at his best all tournament has done as champions do and has found a way to win. But against the Italian, this mantra may come unstuck with Sinner getting the better of Djokovic on multiple occasions as of late. The dominant Serbian said to grab the popcorn for Sinner v Rublev and he wasn’t wrong on the display of the former.
Albeit Rublev had his chances in what was a 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 win for the World No.4. He went 5-1 up in the second tiebreak and looked likely to hand Sinner his first set loss but Rublev who has never got to a Grand Slam semi final saw Sinner come back at him and snatch the set.
From there it was all Sinner as he broke to go 4-2 up and sped to the line from there. This though after Rublev went 40-15 up on his own serve and looked likely to hold but this like the tiebreak was his downfall as Sinner broke held and then held again in the final game of the match.
This on a night when the scheduling was called into question amid late finishes and Djokovic-Fritz being pigeonholed into prime time only to put the rest of the ties well behind. Aryna Sabalenka put the day back on track albeit heavily delayed but it could’ve been the longest finish yet had Sinner not breezed through. Blushes soared and a showdown for the ages set.