Jannik Sinner of Italy holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany who walks away with the runners-up trophy after the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Jannik Sinner won his second Australian Open crown, in a match that didn’t reach the highest notes of the crescendo, but instead showed up the gulf between the World Nos 1 and 2. But nothing epitomized Grand Slam glory pass Alexander Zverev by, as being repeatedly passed by the Italian, including the final championship point.
Here’s 3 passing shots to remember:
The AO oye oye moment
The comms more than once spoke of how Sinner’s coaches reckoned he was more alert when put under pressure to the extent that they didn’t mind him being under the pump. But despite the lopsidedness of the result, Zverev had struck a semblance of consistency in accuracy from the baseline. So even at 3-5 and two sets down in the third, the Zverev hopefully waited for a last-gasp miracle. Sinner serving for the match didn’t start great, with an unforced error from the forehand giving Zverev tiny hope – 0-15. Zverev would crunch a forehand next and send an ace down the T to go 30-15 up, and it was a knife-edge despite inevitability throbbing at 30-30 when Sinner hit long. When Zverev hit wide next for 30-40, all hopes deflated. But it was the cruelest of endings, as Zverev got sucked into a lingering last rally where he charged forward to the net after tackling a gorgeous drop shot frim the Italian. It was a cue for Sinner to smash the backhand past the loping heaving 198+ cm figure forlorn at the net.
Point of the Match
It wasn’t the first time Zverev was lured to the front court, as the duo were embroiled in what was perhaps the rally of the match at 6-3, 5-6, 30-40. The second set was tipping towards a consistent Zverev, though both held serve. Yet at 5-6, 30-40, things could’ve been in table-turning mode. As the 21 shot rally started, both players made some tremendous retrieves, running to all corners of the court, after Zverev showed nerves to wriggle out of a tetchy back-to-the-wall situation. For some reason he trusted he could seal this from the net, but he just hadn’t been sharp enough, and once plonked on the forecourt, he could only watch Zverev place it onto the back court for the finest of his 32 outright winners. Everything else after that point – Sinner aced the tiebreak predictably – was a formality as Zverev was emotionally spent.
Pass shot, almost a trend
Sinner is one of the best defenders from the wide backhand corners, and the commentator even compared him to Djokovic who could keep the ball in play even when stretched across his body into the toughest corners. So at 6-3, 3-4, starting his service game against a Zverev whose resilience was resurgent, Sinner played a 15 shot rally, the last three returns of which were him extricating himself from that dreaded b/h back corner. While his defense held firm, Zverev – not for the first time – thought he needed to pound onto the forecourt and go for the kill from there. Except his sharpness was just not there on the day, and he ended up watching Sinner send one whoosh past him from way behind the baseline onto the vacant, empty court behind him.
Zverev just couldn’t catch a break. And Sinner was never broken.
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible. I love to Write Blogs on Software, Mobile applications, Web Technology, eCommerce, SEO, and about My experience with Life.
