Jannik Sinner capitalises on his favouritism and defeats
Taylor Fritz to claim the
US Open title. The world No. 1 played an almost perfect match and withstood impressive moments from the American to secure the win 6-3, 6-4, 7-5. The American had strong moments with his serve and held a lead in the second set, but the Italian performed better in the crucial moments.
Sinner
claimed his 6th title of the season (second Grand Slam) and reached 55 wins for
the year. The Italian comfortably holds the World No. 1 spot, with over 4,000
points ahead of second-place Alexander Zverev. On the other hand, Fritz returns
to the top 10 and will appear as World No. 7 starting Monday.
Fritz fights hard but falls short as Sinner claims US Open glory
Upon
entering the court, Fritz received a big ovation as the local hope, but the
Italian was not left behind, as the crowd also gave a warm reception to the
World No. 1. At the start of the match, both players showed some nerves, with
Sinner securing the first break to take a 2-0 lead.
However,
the advantage did not last long, as Sinner made several errors in his next
service game, and Fritz reclaimed the break. Nonetheless, it was only a brief
setback, as Sinner won 16 of the last 20 points of the set, taking advantage of
Fritz's low first serve percentage (only 38%, winning 55% of them). Sinner was
superior in the first set, dominating the rallies and constantly pushing the
American several meters behind the court, while the Italian looked solid from
the baseline.
The second
set was solid for both players in the beginning. The American, like in his
semifinal match against Tiafoe, improved in the second set, shortening the
points and achieving an impressive 78% first serve percentage, winning 83% of
those serves. Up until 4-4, the set was very even, with strong service games.
However, Fritz faltered towards the end of the set, and Sinner capitalized on
it, securing the break he needed to win the set 6-4.
The
American hit 12 winners and made 7 unforced errors, while Sinner was precise
despite reducing his aggression, with 7 winners and only one unforced error. It
was a disappointing set outcome for Fritz, as he had been more imposing with
his serve but lacked the consistency to maintain his strong serving throughout
the set.
Sinner was
0-40 down at the start of the third set but played the points perfectly to
recover and secure his service game. Sinner maintained a first serve
effectiveness of over 70% compared to just 40% from his opponent. When the
points dragged on, Fritz always targeted his opponent’s backhand, but once
Sinner managed to turn around, he was impressive with his forehand.
The American managed to stay in the match with increasing confidence and secured several spectacular points that captivated the audience, who became more involved as the match progressed.
Fritz managed to stay in the match with increasing confidence. The American pulled off several spectacular points that captivated the crowd, which became more engaged as the match progressed. The atmosphere suggested something might shift in Fritz's favour, despite Sinner maintaining his level. At 3-3, Sinner felt the pressure and Fritz capitalised on a couple of opportunities, securing the break after the Italian committed a double fault.
Fritz went ahead to 5-3 and it seemed he would take the match to a fourth set. However, Sinner displayed his class by winning the last four games consecutively to seal the victory in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5.