by Gaia Piccardi
Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic play on the night between Thursday and Friday. Time: approximately 4:30 in the morning. Panatta’s predictions on the result
They saw him training with the yellow trousers of a 76 kilo canary, his arm loose like a whip, the usual hat on his head even if he was dribbling indoors, because you don’t change a team that wins, and habits that work even less. No hangover from Rublev: a good stomach, an inertia as happy as his tournament pushes Jannik Sinner towards the semi-final with Novak Djokovic, the most awaited match of the Australian Open which takes place before Medvedev-Zverev on the night between Thursday and Friday (in Italy it will be 4.30 in the morning), awakening – beyond the inhabitants of Sinnerland – ancient suggestions of Luna Rossa.
The precedents between Jannik and Djoker are 2-4, we know this, the last two victories of the Italian (Turin, in the ATP Finals group, and Malaga in Davis) ended with scores that would have earned him the first half in Melbourne ( three sets out of five are played), the doubt remains about the red baron’s behavior if the match lasted more than 4 hours, yet the feeling that this is the right time: to beat the number one in a Slam, reach the first final in career, perhaps sucking the last vital energy from Medvedev or Zverev, both already defeated and drained by marathons that Jannik saved himself with excellent management of ways and times. His Australian Open, so far, has been perfect, the tennis gods seem ready for the handover, which will be deserved on the court.
There is a slice of the ancien rgime that is partly out of affection (Boris Becker, who coached him: For Nole, at 36, age is just a number), partly out of paraculence (Nick Kyrgios new acquisition of Eurosport: He will win at least four more Slams, the most complete player of all), partly to defend the rights of the elderly champions who resent being humiliated by kids, sees Djokovic as favorite over Sinner and king of the tournament for the eleventh time.
But from the sea, if you know how to smell it well, there is an air of change of which Sinner is a healthy bearer: the habit of the triumph of the man with 24 Slam titles must not obscure the evidence of the advance of a 22 year old who by now, in addition to completeness of tennis, brings to the court a presence of which the Serbian is aware, having allowed him to cancel three match points (all played with a wait-and-see attitude) on the day in which Sinner lost twice (single and double), in Malaga, in Davis .
There is no human being on earth more motivated to beat Jannik than the diabolical Djoker. But today, as a head, Sinner is not inferior to him, he supports Adriano Panatta in the daily, hilarious podcast chat (Fandango) with Paolo Bertolucci, and he is right. To win Jannik will have to extend his belief that he can eliminate the best to five sets – according to John McEnroe, another Eurosport talent in Melbourne -. Djokovic has already experienced every situation: gaming, atmospheric, scoring, mental. He knows what to expect. Sinner will have to make himself unpredictable, more than ever: coming to the net under pressure, in important points, is not trivial. I’m curious to see if he’ll be able to do it. You can enter the field with the most detailed game plan, but if there is one capable of shattering it Novak.
And if there is a destiny, if Jannik Sinner is truly predestined, everything is already written. All that remains is to set the alarm.
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January 25, 2024 (changed January 25, 2024 | 08:40)
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