Jannik Sinner won a first Grand Slam title in epic fashion, coming back from two sets down to defeat Daniil Medvedev 3-6 3-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in a remarkable men’s singles final in Melbourne.
Medvedev, beaten twice before in the final on Rod Laver Arena – including a five-setter to Rafa Nadal in 2022 – became the first player in history to lose two Grand Slam finals when two sets up.
Early in the match, Sinner had no answer for Medvedev’s aggression as, despite his gruelling 20 hours and 33 minutes spent on court in reaching the final, the Russian showed zero signs of fatigue.
Sinner, who, by contrast, had dropped only one set all tournament, swiftly lost his second as Medvedev took the opener, managing to do what a certain Novak Djokovic could not achieve in his semi-final defeat to the 22-year-old Italian.
The record 24-time Grand Slam champion failed to forge a single break point opportunity against Sinner’s serve in their clash, while Medvedev earned three of them in just his second service game, with a double-break clinching the opening set.
Sinner nearly lost his serve again to start the second set, but battled through to save four break points in what appeared to be a crucial hold for the Italian – only for him to cede his next two service games anyway to fall behind 5-1.
He would lose the set, but a late rally by the world No 4 – immediately breaking Medvedev back, holding to 15 and then earning another break opportunity ultimately saved by the Russian – gave nod to his growing foothold in the match.
Sinner would take the next two sets in the same fashion against an increasingly fatigued Medvedev, the world No 3’s gruelling hours spent on court beginning to tell, as the Italian would break from 5-4 up in both.
Then, in the fifth, Sinner broke free of his opponent in the sixth game, going on to become the first Italian man to win a Grand Slam since Adriano Panatta in 1976 and the youngest to win the Australian Open since Djokovic in 2008.
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