Sinner stages epic fightback to win Australian Open

Jan 29, 2024 TIMESOFINDIA.COM

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner stormed back from two sets down to beat Daniil Medvedev in an energy-sapping five-set Australian Open final on Sunday, claiming his first Grand Slam title. Image Source: Getty Images

The fightback

The Italian fourth seed had no answer to the Russian's aggression in the first two sets but dug deep to win 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in three hours and 44 minutes. Image Source: Getty Images

Savour the moment

Sinner collapsed to the floor before returning to his feet to savour his moment on Rod Laver Arena, climbing into his box to hug coaches Simone Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill. Image Source: Getty Images

First Italian champion

Sinner thundered 14 aces, hit 50 winners and broke Medvedev's serve four times to become the first Italian champion in the tournament's history. Image Source: Getty Images

First Italian man

The 22-year-old is the first Italian man to win a Slam since Adriano Panatta in 1976 and the youngest man to win the Australian Open since Novak Djokovic in 2008. Image Source: Getty Images

History guaranteed

Sinner's semi-final victory over 10-time winner Djokovic had guaranteed there would be a new name on the trophy. Image Source: Getty Images

Daniil Medvedev

But the result is a bitter blow for the third-ranked Russian, who also blew a two-set lead against Rafael Nadal in the 2022 final. Image Source: Getty Images

Forced to scramble

Sinner admitted he had been forced to scramble for answers because Medvedev was "crushing" it in the first two sets. Image Source: Getty Images

The final set

Both players stayed solid on serve until the sixth game of the final set, when Medvedev dumped a backhand into the net to give Sinner three break points. Image Source: Getty Images

The biggest win

A forehand crosscourt winner gave the Italian the crucial break and he closed out on serve to earn the biggest win of his life. Image Source: Getty Images